You are my Sunshine
by sunnyb161616
Summary: Jen's running from her murderous stepfather, when she finds herself in Brooklyn where she meets the famous Spot Conlon and the rest of the Brooklyn newsies. When a war begins Jen learns of something that completely changes her outlook on her new life.
1. Never Heard of Him

**Ok I rewrote this chapter a little bit, not much but some. I also combined the first and second chapter together because, well they are the same chapter and I shouldn't have split them up in the first place.**

**I hope you all enjoy this version of the chapter. **

**Please comment, it really does help me know what you guy like about it and what I need to work on. So, yeah comment!**

**Disclaimer - I do not own newsies. Why would I be writing a Newsies fanfiction if I had the writes to Newsies? **

"Jen ya 'ave ta go now." Luke s voice had an edge in it that Jen had never heard before

"I ain't leavin ya 'ere, I can't 'e will find ya." She shouted through her tears.

"Jen my legs broke an I can't go no fartha, an if you'se don't go 'e'll kill da both of us, so go on get outta ere."

"B-but…" Jen hated the idea off leaving him there, she couldn't do that, she wouldn't.

"NOW." He screamed at the top of his lungs as he heard the foot steps getting closer and closer. Jen looked at him, he was her only family left and she was going to have to leave him, she hated having to leave him there alone, but that's what Luke wanted and right now all she want was to do what he wanted her to.

"Goodbye Luke." she whispered quitely as she turned her back to him and began to run down the Manhattan ally.

She turned down the next opening and got about half a block away and then she stopped, the foot steps she had been listening to stopped, and Frank, her step-father, voice took their place. He was yelling at Luke, Jen was to far away by that time to understand what he was scream but she new they weren't pleasant words coming out of his mouth. All the yelling stopped when she heard a shot fired, everything was quite after that, the only sound left in the air was the echo of the shot that had just been fired.

Tears began to form in her eyes blurring her vision as she began to ran again, Frank had killed her mother, and now her brother, and if she didn't get away fast enough she would be his next target. Every step she took made it harder and harder for her to breath, she maneuvered her way down allies and streets as fast as she could.

It was two in the morning and the only light on the streets were the dim street lights that didn't illuminate much. She didn't really know where she was going so it didn't really matter weather or not she could see where she was going anyways. She had been run for at least thirty minutes before she stopped, she was standing at the edge of the Brooklyn bridge, she had heard stories of Brooklyn before, most of them being about the kinds of crime that happened there, she had once heard someone say it was the most feared city in all of New York. She took a step onto the bridge taking in a deep breath, Frank would never even think about entering Brooklyn if his life depended on it, that was one of the things she had figured out about Frank over the past eight or so years that her mother had been married to him, he had never told her why he wouldn't, he only said that he wouldn't take a step into it.

She got to the half way point of the bridge and stopped, she didn't know what she was thinking, she was going to go walk the streets of Brooklyn at two in the morning, when the scariest people were out an about just waiting for a girl like her to fall into their hands. ' 'ow stupid am I?' her brain questioned herself.

She needed to rest, her legs were in pain beyond belief, and her head was throbbing, so she slowly slid down the railing of the bridge until she felt the ground below her. She sat there an thought for a while, trying to calm her self down, trying to think of scenarios of what could have happened in that ally that didn't end with Luke being killed. But she knew that he had to be dead, how could he not be, everything was against him, Luke had a freshly broken leg, He couldn't run from Frank, and Frank had a gun, there was no way for Luke to escape.

Her eyes began to droop after an hour or so, she tried fighting it but that got her no where. Finally she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore and they closed and she fell asleep almost instantly.

"Goil, wake up." Jen heard a child's voice say and felt her shoulder being shaken by a pair of small hands. She opened her eyes at the sound of his voice, she was shocked by her bright surroundings blinded her for a few seconds. When her eyes finally focused she found a boy about ten years old with staring at her. He had big green eyes, and blonde hair that looked like it hadn't been brush in years if ever. He was dressed in a plaid gray shirt that had a few wholes scattered across it, his pants were brown and went down to just below the knees and they where in the same condition as his shirt, and neither looked as if they had been washed in quite some time.

"You'se ok dere miss" the boy said in a kind voice. "Goils like yourself don't usually sleep on bridges." Jen looked at him with a blank stare, trying to sort out where she was and what had happened last night. Her head was spinning, everything was coming back, her and Luke being chased, leaving Luke, the gun shot, and the Brooklyn bridge. She fought the tears when she felt that trying to well up in her eyes, but the had noticed her mood becoming sadder.

"I'se sorry, I didn't mean ta upset ya, you'se can sleep on da bridge if ya wanna. I'se jist…um sorry." the kid said to her trying to calm her down. He didn't know what he had done or said, but he apologized anyways.

"My brotha e's dead, e's really gone." she murmured to herself, disregarding that the boy was even there. Jen was lost in thought and memory, she was hoping that last night had been a dream, but when she saw the bridge she knew it wasn't and that last night had been completely real.

"Are you'se ok? What happen ta ya?" said the boy when he heard her mumble those words, he was stepping away slowly making sure that if she was going to lash out at him he could get away before she could catch him.

"No I'm not ok, I'se got no family an no where ta go." She said quietly, just loud enough for the boy to hear to hear. A tear or two had fallen out of her eyes and where now making their way down her cheek, despite all the effort she was using to hold them back.

"Stay here, I'se be right back." he said as he disappeared into the busy streets of Brooklyn. The boy came back with an older boy around 17, with intense icy blue gray eyes and medium length dirty-blonde hair. He wore a plaid shirt with red suspenders and a gold tipped cane hanging from one of his belt loops.

"What's ya name goil?" said the older boy, his voice was warm but had a hint 'I don't really care who you are' intertwined in it.

"My names Jen Richards, and you'se are?" she said as quietly as she could. She didn't really want to be talking to anyone at the moment, especially someone who acted like he was too amazing to even be wasting his time on her.

"I'm Spot Conlon, an dis ere is Chaos." said the boy she now knew as Spot. His voice became more arrogant this time.

" 'e's da king of Brooklyn" Chaos chirped in.

"Well I've never 'eard of 'im" Jen said looking at the boy Spot had called Chaos. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Spot shake his head, and glare at her.

"Dat's because your jist some stupid goil, Chaos danks for da waste of time." Spot said in an annoyed tone as he started to walk back towards the Brooklyn side of the bridge.

"Well it's been nice meeting da both of ya but I'se got ta be goin now, too." She said in a sarcastic voice. Chaos had been following Spot back to Brooklyn, but he turned around and walk back to Jen when she said those words, not understanding sarcasm yet. Spot saw him do this so he stopped where he was and turn to face the both of them to see what he was going to do.

"But you'se were jist tellin me ya had no wheres ta go." Chaos asked her in a confused voice. Jen smiled at the young boy, he was concerned for her even though they had never seen each other before ten minutes ago, she had never met any one who had cared for so much about some one they didn't even know.

"Well wheres you'se planin on stayin?" Spot asked, just before she was about to say something.

"I'se don't know, I ave no wheres ta go, I'se was jist goin ta stay at any place I'se could find." Jen said to them as she searched her mind for a place she could go, where it would be safe and Frank couldn't find her.

"Deres an open bunk next ta mine Spot!" Chaos said excitedly, turning away from Jen and back to Spot. Spots face didn't exactly have the same expression on it as Chaos', Spots was more annoyed and bored.

"Yeah dere is, but she ain't no newsie, an dat bunks for a newsie." He said to Chaos, but was staring at Jen.

"Come on Spot jist let 'er stay for a few days." Chaos pleaded with him.

"You know what." Jen spoke up before Spot could object to her staying with them. "I was thinkin about becoming a newsie, so I guess I'm lucky you found me." Spot shook his head a little, but there was a hint of a smirk on his lips.

"So you want ta be a newsie do yah." he paused, looking at her and laughed a bit. "Fine you can 'ave a bunk, but jist so you know, if you are gonna be a pain in my neck I wont hesitate ta kick you out."

"And where do you newsies call 'ome?" Jen asked quietly to the two boys.

"Da one an only Brooklyn lodging house, of course." Chaos answered proud of his home and being a part of the famous Brooklyn newsies.

The two boys turned and started walking towards busy streets, but not hearing her footsteps behind them Spot stopped turned around. "You comin, or do yah want to live on da bridge?" Jen glanced at him and then started jogging after them. After a couple minutes of walking Spot sent Chaos off to go sell the rest of his papers before lunch, and he took Jen the rest of the way to the lodging house by himself.

"So, whats a goil like yourself doin all alone on da streets of Brooklyn?" Spot said as he looked her up and down wondering how such a pretty girl wound up sleeping on da Brooklyn Bridge.

"I was running, and I'se stopped to catch my breath, and must ave fallen asleep." Jen said as the horrors of last nights events flashed through her mind. She didn't want to tell Spot everything, she didn't want him to feel sorry for her.

"And why were you'se runnin?" His icy blue eyes looked in to her dark brown ones searching for answers, and he found them, her eyes showed hurt, pain, and loss.

"Why do you want ta know?" she said trying to avoid answering his question for as long as she could.

"What did I say bout bein a pain." he snapped, getting frustrated with her.

Jen took and deep breath in and out, trying to figure out a way of say what had happened last night quick and painless, but after a minute she decide to just say the first things that came to her mind. "My step-fatha he got really drunk, and I'se guess my motha did somethin wrong an 'e went off, 'e grabbed 'is gun and shot 'er, then 'e came afta me an Luke, that's my brotha, we ran bout three blocks an then Luke couldn't run any more, 'is leg was broke, an so I'se had to go on without 'im, I'se heard a shot an had ta jist keep runnin." Tears now starting to fall from her eyes and staining her cheeks.

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Spot felt like an absolute jerk for being so rude to her, she had just lost everything and he probably didn't make it any better, but in his defense she was a little rude to him as well. Spot studied the girl walking next to him, she was about sixteen years old, and five foot three. She had caramel colored hair that fell just below her shoulders, it had a few spiral curls mixed in with messy waves. Her tear stained cheeks were perfectly rosy and her eyes were a deep chocolate color with a black ring surrounding the brown. She wore a light pink dress that was covered with white lace. 'What kind of monster could hurt dis goil or any goil, what a bum?' Spot thought to himself, his hands now forming fist at his sides. He hated men who hit girls for no reason, he looked at them as less then human and wouldn't mind if they suffered slow and painful deaths.

They got to the lodging house right before lunch so there were a few newsies that were done selling their morning papers, hanging around before they left to eat lunch.

When they walked in Spot all the boys looked up at them, well mostly Spot they just figured Jen was another one of the girls Spot played with for a little and then would throw away like trash.

"Dis Is Jen." Spot said quickly, not really saying it to anyone in particularly, but loud enough so everyone heard. All the boys looked at her for a few seconds and then became uninterested and turned back to what they were doing before Jen and Spot arrived.

Spot led her passed abut forty bunks and stopped beside one next to a window.

"Dis 'ere will be yah bed, is it up to ya likins?" Spot said in a sarcastic tone and glanced over his shoulder to see if she approved, but she wasn't behind him, she was at the window looking out at the view of Brooklyn.

"She a beauty ain't she, although you'se can only see bout a quarta of da city from 'ere. Da roofs gots one of da best in da city." Spot said as he walked over to her side at the window.

Next thing she knew Spot opened the window and stepped out onto a fire escape that led up to the roof. He turned around to Jen and motioned her to follow him, she then hesitantly step out onto the fire escape following him up three flights of stairs to the roof. Her eyes widened when she saw the spectacular view, he was right, you could see all of Brooklyn and part of the Bronx, Queens, and Manhattan from the roof. The warmth of the sun against her skin brought a smile to her face. She never got to go outside much after her mom married Frank, he said that someone might get suspicious of the burses and have Jen and Luke taken away, she didn't believe him at first but then one day someone came and tried to take them away.

*FLASHBACK*

"Where ave ya been Frank? Its almost midnight." Jens mom, Louise, whispered to Frank as he walked in the door. Louise tried so hard to make the marriage work, but it had only been a year, and it seemed as if every little think she did made him mad. Frank was a different man now than when she had first met him, he use to play with Jen and Luke as though they were his own children, he would always tell Louise how beautiful she was and that he loved he. But when they got married the playing turned into hitting and the compliments into threats and insults.

"Don't botha me tonight Louise, I'se tired and I aint in the mood fer you'se barkin at me." She could smell the fowl sent of liquar on his breath, and hear the anger building up in his voice.

"Why do ya drink all da time, why can't you'se jist be da man I first met, the one I'se was hoppin I was marrying?"She screamed at him, tired of the hurt and pain he has caused her and her family.

"well maybe if you'se were a good wife I'se wouldn't have to look fer otha things ta please me." And with that Franks hand made its way across Louise's face, leaving a red hand print her cheek.

"STOP" Yelled Luke as he ran between Frank and Louise "she's a betta wife then you'se ever disserved." But that didn't help the least bit, it only made it worse.

Frank went into a vicious rampage picking up the closes thing he could find and throwing it at Luke. Luckily it was only a wooden spoon, but it still cut his face above his right eye. After about fifteen minutes of a brutal beating of Luke, and Louise, he turned his anger towards Jen. She was hiding in the corner hoping that this time would be the one where he just forgot about her, but that would never happen, he always left her for last; she gave him the most pleasure. It seemed her every scream impelled him to hit her harder, and Jen was a fighter, she never gave up even at ten, she dug her nails into his face and gouged at his eyes. Even though Jen was tough she was no match for a man three times her age and size.

"You'se are all worthless, ya 'ear, worthless. No one cares if ya live or die, I'se the only one ta take ya in, and you'se treat me with no respect." And then he stumbled his way in to his room and fell fast asleep, leaving Jen, Luke, and Louise passed out from the pain, spread out on the living room floor, looking as if they were all dead.

The next morning before Frank woke up Jen and Luke snuck out to the market to get something to eat for their morning meal, when they heard a little old ladies voice ring out behind them "Luke, Jen Richards is that you I see?" the sweet old lady said.

"Aunty Caroline!" the children shouted out in unison, as they ran over to her and gave her a big hug. Aunty Caroline wasn't really their aunt, but she was the closest thing they had to one. They et her when Jen was about five and Luke eight. She was about sixty and she had just moved to New York from England, she started working at the same floral shop that Louise did. Louise had found out that she was staying at a rundown apartment building and let her move into the spare room tell she found her own place.

"It's nice to see you two again, it seems like it's been months." Then her voice changed to a more serious tone as she noticed the cuts and bruises all over the two children. "What happened to you, how did you both get so many bruises and cuts?"

Jen and Luke shared a worried look between themselves remembering what Frank had said would happen to them if they told anyone what really went on in their home to give them the bruises and cuts.

"Well you'se see Auntie Caroline, me an Jen ere were wrestling an we'se got ta close ta da stairs an we went toppling down 'em." Luke spoke up with a somewhat convincing voice.

"Are you sure you fell down some stairs, and no one hurt you?" she could tell that the falling down the stairs line had been rehearsed.

"Yes ma'am, it happened jist last night." Luke didn't have to lie about that part. "We'se should be headin on home now, but it's been nice ta chat with ya." He said as they turned and disappeared into the business of the market.

That night two police officers knocked at their door wanting to talk to Jen and Luke, but the falling down the stairs act convinced them and they left without a second glance at the clearly abused children. After that nights visit Frank was more aware of where he hit them and very rarely let the escape the imprisonment of the house.

*NOW*

"So I'se guessing that you'se like da sun, judgin by that great big grin on ya face, sunshine." Spot said as the smirk on his face grow to almost the size of hers.

"I'se never really gots ta go outside all that much." She looked around and let her eye rest on Spot. She felt a warmth and understanding from his smirk, and safety in his eyes.

"Well that a sham, there's so much that's you'se been missin bein cooped up inside for all ya life. So I'se might be wrong but I'se guessing you'se aven't eaten yet, ave ya?"

"You'se got that one right, I'se aven't eaten since yesterday morning." She said now aware of the angry growls coming from her stomach.

"Well good thing I'se was da one who found ya's, we newsies know da best places ta eat." He smirked at her, he had changed his whole demeanor towards her, he wasn't acting like such a jerk now, she liked him a lot better this way.

Spot took off down the stairs with Jen a step or two behind. Instead of going back through the window they came through, they went all the way down the fire escape and into the ally. They walked for about five minutes, when they turned a corner and walked into a small restaurant with a sign above the door that read "Chances".

When the two of them walked in most of the booths were full of other newsies talking up a storm, about twenty of them in all, filling the room with laughter and storing of their morning. As Spot and Jen walked by, each newsies nodded in acknowledgement and some added a casual "Hey ya Spot", or "How you'se doin Spot." When they reached about the middle of Chances he stopped and took out the gold tipped cane that hung from his belt loop and tapped it on the ground a couple of times, and the room went silent.

"Hey ya bois, dis is Jen, and she goin to be stayin with us." Spot said in a commanding voice and no one asked any question, some nodded and others said stuff like "Hey ya Jen." They all seemed pretty nice. She nodded back and continued following Spot to the very back table, where three boys were seated. Two of them were around Spots age and the other one was Chaos. Spot let Jen slip into the booth next to Chaos and pulled up a spare chair from another table for himself. The minute Jen sat down, Chaos was bombarding her with question.

"So are ya really goin ta be stayin with us?" "Did you'se like the lodgin house?" "Where's your bunk?" but he asked his questions so fast she had no time to answer any of them before he went on to the next one.

But after a few minutes Spot got tired of the pointless questions and quieted him down. When Chaos came to a complete stop Spot introduced Jen to the other two boys at the table. The first ones name was shadow, he had dirty blonde hair that fell just above his brilliant green eyes. Spot had introduced him as his second in command, when she heard that, her mind wandered back to the comment Chaos had made earlier on the bridge about Spot being the king of Brooklyn.

She wondered how a kid that lived in a lodging house, and made only a few cents a day by selling newspapers could be considered the king of Brooklyn, she also didn't understand why a newsie would need a second in command, was it really that complicated being a newsie?

The second older boy at the table Spot had called Tweet, both for the reason he whistled all the time and he was one of the best birds to come through Brooklyn. Tweet was probably about 16, his hair was short, only about an inch or two long, and it was jet black and wavy. His eyes were brown with gold specs scattered in them making them look as if they were almost glowing. But the one thing that stood out the most about him was the huge scar reaching from his hair line in the center of his forehead across his eyebrow, just missing his eye, to his right ear.

"So, anything new on da Bronx?" Spot addressed Tweet. "'Ave they moved in any more, or did they learn their lesson?"

"Na it seems da brawl last week put them back in their place. But I'se bein earin some rumors from Gun bout da Bronx gangin up with Queens, an goin afta Manhattan." Tweet answered looking Spot strait in the eyes.

"When did you'se talk to Gun?" Spot asked in a more concerned tone now. He knew that Brooklyn could handle a turf war, but Manhattan, even though they were tough, they couldn't handle two territories coming at them at once.

"'E told me this earlier this mornin, 'e said 'e was goin to go find ya, but I'se guess 'e didn't.

"Well I'se wasn't sellin this mornin so 'e probably didn't know where I was. But now that I know, I want you Tweet to go tell Jackie boy bout this news, they might already know but we'se betta make sure so nothing jumps out at them that they didn't know was comin sooner or later." And with that Spot sent him to Manhattan to warn their fellow newsies of what might come to be in the near future.

**Please comment.**

**Thanks for reading, please read the rest of my story and comment on it!**


	2. Nothing like your first day

Thank you all for commenting please keep it up!

Sorry it took a little while to post this but I kept on having writers block.

Disclaimer - no I do not own any of the newsies from the movie But I do in fact own any of the newsies not from the movie and the plot....

* * *

Tweet left Chances and headed straight for Manhattan. When he crossed the bridge he met Mush just starting his afternoon selling.

"Hey ya Tweet what brings you'se ta Manhattan on a fine day like dis?" Mush said along with his hawking of "improved" headlines.

"Well Mush ta tells ya da truth I'se come ta check up on how many poor goilies hearts you'se broken since I'se seen you'se last." Tweet snickered.

"You'se jist jealous all da cute goils live 'ere in Manhattan, an not in Brooklyn." He replied jokingly defending himself, "an anyways dere's only been three dis month, an da one I'se 'ave now I'se thinkin bout keepin."

"Ha, I'se heard dat one before, but yeah da real reason I'se 'ere is ta talk with Jackie boi, you'se know where I'se could find 'im?" Tweet said getting back to the mission Spot had sent him on .

" 'e should be around 'is normal sellin spot." Mush replied.

"K well I'se should be goin now I'se got some real important business for 'im, an well if Spot found out I'se spent dis long just sit around talkin with ya 'e'd soak me."

"Yeah, yeah an we'se wouldn't want ta see dat happen now would we. Well I'se be seein you'se around, oh an tell Spot I'se got some real good shooters for 'im." Mush said as Tweet turned away and started walking towards Jack's normal selling spot.

***BROOKLYN***

After Tweet left, Spot continued talking with Shadow when the waiter strolled up to the booth.

"So what can I'se get for you'se taday?" the wait said looking at Spot.

"Well let's see, I'se thinkin I'se gonna 'ave da clam chowder." Spot answered without even glancing at the waiter.

The waiter quickly wrote the order down on the notepad he held in his hand, and then turned to Jen. "an you'se miss?"

She gave him a blank stare, there were no menus at the table, there was a board up front by the door but she was to overwhelmed by all the newsies to glance at it more than once, when she first walked in. "I'se jist gonna 'ave what 'e's 'avin." she spoke up after a few moments.

"Is dat all for you'se taday?" he must have seen that Shadow and Chaos had empty bowls in front of them. Spot just nodded his head, and the waiter walked away from their table and went back in to the kitchen.

"What is goin on in Thunders head, 'e's got ta be some kind a stupid, foist 'e messes with Brooklyn, an now 'e's messin with Manhattan which 'e knows is pretty much da same as messin with us." Shadow ran his hands up the sides of his face and into his hair as his head shook, his voice boiling with annoyance and anger.

Thunder was the leader of the Bronx, he had only been in power for about a month, and all he's done was make trouble for the newsies. It's been two years since the strike and there hadn't been any coils, but when Warden left the Bronx to Thunder the first thing he did was start territory wars. The Bronx had half of Harlem so far, but now they had formed an alliance with Queens, they could bring a real threat. Spot wasn't worried about Brooklyn, they could handle themselves, but Manhattan wasn't as strong as Brooklyn, and that is what worried him.

"Dat's why I'se sent Tweet ta set up a meetin at Medda's tomorrow, so dat we'se could talk to Jackie boi without anyone suspecting anything. But for now we'se all gots ta act cool, so we'se ain't gonna be telin nobody bout dis plan of ours. We'se don't want word of dis getting ta Queens or da Bronx." Spot looked specifically at Chaos, knowing he had trouble keeping his mouth shut.

Jen sat in the booth watching as the scene play out, there was so much more to being a newsies then she would have ever believed. Jen thought that all newsies did was sell papes, but it was like they had a whole different world, with different rules and the other boroughs were pretty much different countries, some wanting peace, but others wanted to expand, overtake the weaker. Now she was beginning to see why Spot was known as 'The King of Brooklyn' and why he needed a second in command and spies, or birds as Tweet had identified himself as, earlier.

Spot took his eyes off Chaos and let them wander, but not for long, for his steel blue eyes met Jens chocolate ones. Jen had a confused look on her face and it made Spot snicker to himself.

"Is somethin da madda sunshine?" his voice snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Well no…um I'se jist don't git it, you'se are all newsies and do da same thins, so why do you'se fight?" She spoke shyly knowing this question might sound stupid to guy's that have probably never known anything other than the streets.

Spot laughed as a smirk appeared on his lips, which made Jen feel even stupider. "Well Sunshine, you'se see kids like Thunder they don't use dere heads like me and you'se. 'E thinks dat da more power 'e 'as da more respect 'e gits, which is true in some cases, but when you'se talkin bout gittin respect from da newsies, you'se jist cant take it; you'se 'ave ta earn it. But some newsies jist 'ave too thick of heads, they jist don't git it tell someone pounds it inta those hard heads of theirs." She nodded her head; she understood what he had said. It was just like Frank, he had beaten her and her family to get them to respect him, but all it did was make them hate him even more.

Jen was snapped out of her thoughts once more as the waiter placed a bowl of warm clam chowder in front of her. She hadn't eaten in a day and a half, and the smell of the soup was so good, but as she lifted her spoon to her lips she remembered she had no way to pay for her lunch. Jen put her spoon back into her soup and looked up at Spot.

"Spot.." she was hesitant, her voice quiet, she was ashamed that she had ordered something without having the money to pay for it. Spot stopped eating and looked up at her. "I'se can't pay for dis." She looked away, embarrassed.

"Yeah and your'se point is?" a smirk played on his lips. "I'se was da one who asked you'se if ya wanted ta eat, it's only me pleasure ta pay for yo' meal." Jen blushed; a man had never been that nice to her, she had gotten use to men always being jerks, but Spot was different, he was strong, powerful, and commanding, but not a jerk.

She looked back to him; her cheeks still a little red. "Thanks, an when I'se git some money I'll pay you'se back."

"Don't worry bout it, it's an honor ta pay for such a pretty goil like you self's meal." She could feel the blood rising to her face once more so she quickly turned back to her soup. She brought the spoon back to her lips, this time letting it be engulfed by her mouth. The soup slowly made its way down her throat; she had never had clam chowder before, it was amazing, but so was everything compared to the moldy bread she had been eating for the last three years.

When Spot and her were done with their soup, the four of them got up and walked out of chances together, they were one of the last groups to leave the diner. In the little time they had been there Jen was introduced to all the newsies at Chances, which was most of the Brooklyn newsies. There was Bear, a younger kid, about ten, she could see why he got his name, he was tall for his age and was very bulky, his bulk was not fat, it was muscle that was plan to see, and a fifteen year old named Brand for all the cigarette burns on his body, then there was Gun, he was black and on his head, where his hair should have been, the top was as shiny as nicely polished shoes. He was very respectful, always calling Jen miss. She had noticed that most of the newsies had better manners then most middle to upper class men, sure they didn't have very good table manners, but when they talked to girls or anyone with more control than themselves they were sure to watch there tongues.

Once they left Chances, they headed for the distribution center, the afternoon paper had been out for about thirty minutes, so they passed several newsies on their way. They were all yelling about things like "Vicious animal loose in central park, three people have been attacked, you could be next." and "Families flee as their homes burn to the ground." After about a ten minute walk they were at the circulation center, Shadow got eighty paper and Chaos forty. Spot would have normally gotten a hundred, but today he only got sixty, and gave ten to Jen. When he handed the ten to Jen she looked through them not seeing any of the stories she heard about on their walk. All she found were stories about three lost puppies found in the park and trash fires being tipped over by angry bums.

"Where are all da good headlines? Dere's no way dese ones will sell." Jen asked as the other flipped through their own papers.

"Foist lesson of bein a newsie is headlines don't sell papes newsies do. So when da headlines ain't good enough da newies twist da story's in slight ways." Shadow said looking up from his stack at her, a big grin on his face.

"So you'se lie ta da people's who buy da papes from you'se?" Jen looked suspiciously towards Shadow.

"Well…"

"Na, its jist improvin da truth a little, an if you'se don't like it be prepared ta starve." Spot said, cutting off Shadow, not even bothering to look up at her from his papers.

They all sat there for a few moments in an awkward silence, then Spot finally seemed to notice and looked up. When he did his eyes met with Jens as she looked at him, a look of shock plastered her face.

"Hey, its da truth, it's a hard life bein a newsie. You'se need ta lorn how ta fend for you'se self. Sure I'se paid for you'se food taday but it's not like I'se Pulitzer or Hearst, who can jist through dere money around like it ain't a big deal."

"Don't worry bout it, I'm a good liar. I'se can fend for myself, too, I'se been doin it all my life." Her tone was harsh even though she knew he was right and just trying to help her get on her feet as a newsies. Shadow and Chaos' faces had the look of complete surprise painted on them. She had just talked back to the best fighter in New York, and he had been known for soaking kids, even a girl, for less. But there was no sign of anger on Spots face, only a smirk, which Jen had seen a numerous time since she'd met him earlier that day.

"You'se know what Sunshine, I'se like you'se an you'se just might make a good newsie someday." And with that Shadow and Chaos dispersed into the busy Brooklyn streets, on their way to their normal selling spots. As they walked away Spot stood up from the small set of stairs he had been sitting on when he was done inspecting the headlines and motioned Jen to follow. They walked slightly on the fast side, twisting and turning down alleyways and scarcely crowed streets, finally plunging into a busy high class shopping areas. They stopped on a corner near a small bakery called Cousin Johns Bakery; Jen quickly threw her arm in the air, waving one of her papers in the air. But before she had time to shout out the headlines Spot clasped his hand over her mouth and ripped her hand out of the air. Jen couldn't see that it was Spot and began to panic. _It's Frank, it's Frank, he found me oh god he's going to kill me. _Was the only thing that ran through her head. Her adrenaline started pumping and it only took a few short moments before her fist made contact with Spots jaw, splitting his lip open.

"What da…" Spot yelled startling a few young ladies in nice dresses walking past. "I'se trying ta help yah an you'se give me a shiner. What's your problem goil?" Spots face was red with anger; he was ready to soak her.

"I'se so….so sorry I'se thought you'se were Frank." Jens face mortified. The anger slowly faded from Spots face, as he put his hands on Jens shoulders, staring her in the eyes.

"What did I'se tell you'se earlier, I'se ain't gonna let nobodies hurt you'se, you'se got ta trust me." His was serious, but calm.

"I'se sorry, I'se didn't mean ta."Jen muttered under her breath.

"Don't be, now I'se know you'se can handle you'se self. How'd you'se git such a strong arm like you'se got?" he was shocked that she was that strong as well as quick. In all the time that Spot had been a newsie he had only been hit a handful of times, not one of those times by a girl.

"I'se use ta git pushed around, at foist I'se didn't do anything but I'se got tired of dat real fast. So I'se started fightin it, dat didn't help much but at least I'se knew I'se wasn't jist givin up." Her face was cold, and she looked at Spot but her eyes gave no trace of emotion.

"You'se gotta git over it, you'se need ta loin ta use your, head more, an emotions less. Only show people what you'se want dem ta see." His voice was just as cold as Jens face. The words he spoke sounded more like a threat than anything else and that's what he wanted; he gave her no choice.

"You'se jist don't git it…"

"No, I'se git it an most of my boi's git it too, but they've all loined ta git over it an move on with dere lives." Jen fought back tears, she wanted to forget but she didn't know if she could.

"I'll try." Jens voice was weak but if she spoke any louder she feared she wouldn't be able to hold back her tears.

"Tryins what gits you'se in trouble, you'se eitha do it or don't, dere's none of dis tryin crap."

He barked at her.

They stood in silence; Spots hands still resting on Jens shoulders.

"So…why'd you'se grab me in da foist place?" her voice still weak. Spots stern face softened and the familiar smirk appeared once again.

"Well what were you'se goin ta say?"

"Several families flee as bums begin setting fires in houses." A smile began to form on her face, Jen was proud of the headline she had come up with, knowing that if she heard that she would most likely buy a paper.

"Dat's good Sunshine, if you'se back in da market place but not 'ere. Dese people all around us; I'se would be surprised if dey even knew what a bum was. You'se gots ta hoidy-toidy da headlines up a bit." Spot threw his hand into the air waving a paper and yelled out "Angry coachmen gone crazy, 'e burnt down two mansions last night, you'se could be 'is next target." A woman walked up in a hurry holding out a penny; she look as if she would have died if she hadn't gotten that paper. Then Spot put his hand back up shouting out a few more headlines. His words were like magic, every time he said something people would run over and buy a paper. It took Spot the same amount of time to sell 50 papers as it did Jen to sell 10. After they were done selling their papers Spot took Jen into the bakery that they had been selling next to, and to Jen surprise everything there was cheap. She bought a smoked ham and cheese croissant, it was fair sized and only two cents. Jen couldn't believe that the food in the bakery was so cheap, being in such a high class neighborhood like they were. After they got their food they went and sat in a small booth next to the window.

"Tomorra you'se an me are goin ta only be sellin for half da day, den we'se goin ta go to Medda's afta lunch ta get you'se ready for da party. Dat sound good for you'se?" Spot made it sound like a question but Jen could tell that it was more of command.

"Well it doesn't sound like I'se 'ave much of a choice, now does it." Jen said sarcastically.

"No, you'se don't." Spot said strait out, looking up from his own meal with a grin on his face. Jen had already began to figure out that what Spots says is what happens, no questions.

They finished their dinners fairly quick, and headed back to the lodging house. Most of the newsies were all back from their own dinners as well. It was only eight o'clock so everyone was still up, and as Jen and Spot got back the card games were starting. There was about five different games going, there was black jack, 21, five card draw, texas hold em, and omaha, Jen had learned to play all of them as a young child, and was pretty good to be honest. Her personal favorite was black jack, so she strolled over to that table, she sat down next to Gun, one of the boys she had met at chance.

"Hey ya' Jen, how was yo' foist day as a newsie?"

"Pretty good, to be honest with you'se Spots amazing, it's like 'e's magic." That made everyone at the table laugh. "What? 'Ave you'se seen 'im sell, it's like 'e didn't even 'ave ta try."

"Yeah we'se know 'e's da best in Brooklyn. 'E aint our leader just for da fear 'e strikes in people, even though dats a good quality ta 'ave as a leader, 'e's da best of both worlds, da best sella an da best fighta." A boy named butcher she had met earlier, said from across the table.

By the time Jen was ready to go to bed she had won five cents, the boys were all shocked at how good she was. Most of the girls they knew either sucked or didn't give card games the time of day. There were a select few that were ok but Jen was really good not just okay, and the boys respected her for that.

Jen walked slowly to her buck by the window, the sky was clear and she could see the stars and the moon. Jen hadn't seen the stars in a long time, she was never allowed to go outside anytime of the day for that matter and her bedroom that she had shared with Luke had no windows. She had almost forgotten how beautiful it was. She slumped into her bed looking out into the night sky and slowly drifted into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Please comment.

I really like getting constructive criticism, so tell me what you like, what you don't, and what you think i could do better on.

Thanx for reading it!!!!!!!!!!


	3. Meeting at Meddas

Ok I know its been forever and a day since I last updated, I'm sorry. But heres my next chapter I hope you all enjoy it.

Please comment!

Disclaimer - I don't own newsies, I do own the characters in my stories that are not from newsies.

The sun was just peaking its way through the window as Jen woke; she sat up in her bed and looked around. No one else was up so she quietly went to the wash room and got ready for the day. The night before some of the guys around her size gave her some of their extra clothes, so she slipped into those and found the loose shirt and pants were so much comfier then the restricting dresses she was use to wearing. Once she was dressed she went to the window, opened it and slipped out into the crisp air of the morning. She made her way up the fire escape to the roof; it was so peaceful, not a single cloud in the sky and other than a few rustling noises from below all she could hear were the birds singing. Jen sat on the ledge letting feet dangling over the edge she was facing the sunrise. The view was stunning; the sunlight was hitting the water making it almost glow.

"Jen?" A surprised voice said from behind her making her jump a little. Once she was balanced again she turned around to see who belonged to the voice. It was Spot; he was just finishing buttoning up his shirt as he sat down next to her. "Why are you'se up so early, an takin up me thinkin space?" He said jokingly.

"Sorry, if I'se knew it was yo's I'se wouldn't 'ave intruded, you'se should really look inta gittin yo' name written up 'ere so dere's no mistaken who owns dis 'ere roof." Jen replied in a very sarcastic manner. "I'se always been a early riser, an it's so beautiful up 'ere I jist couldn't resist."

"I'se know what you'se mean, I'se come up 'ere in da mornings ta clear me head, specially on days like taday when dere's goin ta be some important business goin on, and speakin of dat we'se should be headin out soon, we'se only gonna sell for 'alf da day, den head ta 'Hatten to gets you'se ready for tanight." He stood and walk back towards the fire escape.

"What do you'se mean, get me "ready" for tanight?" He stopped and looked back at her as she began to get up as well; he snickered a little before he answered.

"You'se jist gonna 'ave ta wait an see." And with that they quickly made their way down the fire escape and through the bunk room window.

It had been a little while sense Jen went up to the roof so most of the boys were awake and getting dressed. Jen was a little shocked when she crawled through the window, for there were forty half naked boy just walking around like nothing was wrong, but to Jen everything was wrong. In all her life she had only seen her brother and stepfather dressing and even that was rare, so being surrounded by guys was a completely new thing for her, and she didn't know what to do. Jen stood at the window pain for a few brief seconds then she found her way out, she quickly walked to the door the led out of the bunk room, and out of the awkwardness that filled her.

After a few minutes she heard Spots voice coming from the stairs yelling something to the boys, and then the stair case was filled with the Brooklyn newsies. Jen made her way into the crowd of boys following them down the Brooklyn streets. When they reached the circulation office the gates were just opening. Spot was the first one to walk in, he had his cane thrown over his shoulder as he walked to the other end of the large outdoor room, to a big window which had a board covering it. When he got to the window he took the tip of his cane and knocked it on the board a few times. After a moment or two of rustling the board that covered the window was pushed away and exposed a rather short and chubby man, with red hair and millions of freckles engulfing his face. His name was Fitzwilliam, but all the boys just called him Fitz.

"Hey ya Spot, what can I get chya taday?" the man behind the window said in a very heavy Irish accent and a gleeful grin on his face.

"I'se doin good Fitz, hows bout you'se self? An I'se be 'avin me usual." Spot said as he put two bits on counter.

"Well me kids got the flu, but other than that the days going fairly good." Fitz said as another man in his twenties placed a hundred papers on the counter space in front of Spot. Then Spot motioned Fitz to come closer, and Spot placed a few coins into his hand.

"See dat goil back dere, well she's new so I'se goin ta be payin for 'er papes taday so she can git on 'er feet." Spot said quickly and quietly into Fitz ear. "But you'se can't tell 'er I'se was da one dat paid. If she asks jist make up some one, but not me."

"Whatever you'se say Spot." Fitz said as he winked and then scanned the line of newsies and spotted Jen. "She's a pretty one."

"I'se know what you'se dinkin but you'se wrong, dere's nothing goin on, she's new ta bein a newsie an it's nice ta git some 'elp when you'se are jist gittin started. I'se know it was for me anyways." Spot walked away with his papers to the same place he sat yesterday afternoon.

"Ten papes please." Jen said placing five cents on the counter. The younger man put down the papers and Jen quickly counted them. "Dere's thirty 'ere?"

"Yes ma'am, Tweet over dere paid for twenty of 'em." Jen turned her gaze the Fitz to Tweet, who was perusing the headlines next to spot.

"Ok den thank you'se." Jens face still had a look of shock and amazement as she walked over and sat down next to Spot. She looked over her papers until Spot got up and motioned her to follow. She quickly got up and before she was out of the gates she turned around and yelled. "Danks Tweet." Tweet looked up at her a little confused but he nodded back to her anyways. When Spot heard her say that's he knew what she was thanking him for, and knew he had no idea, and that brought a big smirk to his face.

Spot and her went to the same place they sold yesterday. They both sold rather fast, Jen was a quick learner, so it was easy for her to learn to make the headlines sound high class as well as worthy of reading. After all their papers were sold they got their lunch from the bakery once again.

Just as Spot had said earlier they didn't sell the afternoon edition and headed to Manhattan stopped a few times once they got across the bridge, but they were only brief stops where Spot said hi to the Manhattan newsies. They walked until they came across a building that had a sign above the door that read "Ivory Hall". Spot lead Jen through the doors and into a huge room, it was filled with several tables and a stage at the far end.

"Medda you'se 'ere?" Spot shouted into the empty room. There were a few short seconds of movement behind the curtains of the stage and then a extremely made up woman in a beautiful dress appeared.

"Oh Spot I haven't seen you in such a long time, where yah been?"

"I'se been round." He said with a smirk on his face. "But 'eres the goil Tweet told you'se bout. You'se dink you'se could find somethin for 'er ta wear for tanight?" Spot said as he pulled Jen in front of himself. The woman hurried down the stairs of the stage and made her way to Jen.

"Oh my, you are a gem, I already have a dress in mind!" Medda said as she looked Jen up and down.

"Good well I'se be back for yah a little before da party starts, ok den I'se betta be gittin on me w…." Before he was even done with his sentence Medda was dragging Jen back stage.

"Dat sounds good, see you'se den." Jen shouted from behind the curtains still being led away by Medda. She finally stopped when she got to a door, and opened it. The room was huge and crammed full with millions of beautiful dresses.

"Are all dese yours?"Jen said in awe.

"Yes my dear, these are mine. I own this theater as well as performing in it." She said with an added chuckle. "And I think this one will suit you just right." She pulled out a dark blue dress; the top was very fitted with sparkles all over it. The bottom on the other hand was quite flowy and puffs out at the waste. It was the prettiest dress Jen had ever seen.

"Wow dats beautiful, dank you'se so much!" Medda brought it over to her and helped her slip into it. She was right, it fit Jen perfectly. When Jen was all dressed Medda took her in to another room and put a little make up on her.

"Your done, and beautiful, if I might add!" She said as she spun Jen around to show her herself.

"Dank you'se so much, for everyding." Jen said and turned around and gave Medda a huge hug, and that's when they heard a knock from the door. They both looked over to see Spot leaning on the door frame with a smirk on his face.

"Medda you'se done good, but when do you'se don't." he moved closer to them and spun Jen around looking at her from all angles.

"Stop flattering me Spot." She said as she wrinkled up her nose and put her fan that she was holding up to her face. "Now I'm going to get myself ready, I'll see you both when the party starts, make your selves at home until then."

"So 'ow you'se like da place?" Spot said as he walked back out on stage looking over the big room.

"It's lovely." She waited a little bit and then she added "Danks Spot." Jen looked out into the room with a smile on her face.

"For what?"

"For what?" her voice was full of surprise. "For everyding, you'se let me come an stay at da lodgin house, you'se paid for my papes dat first day, not ta mention my lunch, you'se make me feel safe, what more could I'se ask for." She looked down to the floor and then back at spot with a small smile still left on her face.

"I'se won't ever let anyone 'urt you'se, you'se bedda believe dat. Any man dat hits a woman is a pathetic coward, an a worthless man." His eyes tuned to stone his anger was so strong, his whole body seem to stiffen up as if he was remembering something, something that had scarred him, something he hated.

Jen walked over to Spot and put her hand on his arm, snapping him out of the other world he seemed to be in. "I'se know you'se wouldn't." she looked into his eyes giving him a reassuring smile, he gave a smirk back.

They talked for about an hour just about the life of the newsies. Spot told her stories about his time as a newsie, and the strike. By the end of his stories she felt as though she knew most of the Manhattan newsies, Spot told his stories in such details she new Cowboy or Jack Kelly always wore a cowboy hat and he was the leader of Manhattan, Racetrack Higgins was an Irish gambler, Kid Blink wore a patch over one of his eyes and many more things about many others. Sometimes she even thought that he had to be making it up, like him fighting off five of the bulls(cops) by himself, that broke up the rally there at Medda's but he reassured her that it was all true.

Then they heard the door to the theater open and they both turned to see who was going to be there first party guest.

"Ah, if it ain't Jackie boy 'imself." A smirk appeared on his face as he walked towards Jack, both spitting into their hands and shaking. "I'se was startin ta wonder if you'se were goin ta show you'se face or not."

" 'ave you'se ever known me ta be one who doesn't show when I'se say I'se will?" Jack said with a chuckle. "An who is dis pretty goil over 'ere?" he looked over to Jen.

"My name is Jen." She said as she blushed a little, Jack Kelly was quite attractive. "You'se must be Jack Kelly, I'se 'eard a lot bout you'se."

"'opefully all good stuff." Jack flashed Jen a quick smile making her blush more. "My boys should be arriving anytime now, so what did you'se want ta talk bout Spot? Tweet only said a little, but told me you'se wanted to talk ta me bout it."

"I'se been 'earing dings Jackie boy, 'earing dings bout a territory war dat might be comin up in da near future." Spot had lost the smirk that was on his face, he had put on a face of business. His voice was very stiff, the real concern for his close friend stayed safely hidden just how Spot liked it. "Da Bronx has been talkin with Queens, an from what I'se been 'earin they're wantin Manhattan."

"Both of dem." His face turned from cheerful to concern in a matter of seconds. "Do you'se know when?"

"It could be anytime, and Brooklyn will be dere for you'se when da time comes." Spots face was serious but this time a little unease slipped its way through, though only for a moment.

He was concerned with what could happened to Manhattan. Jen had thought it was all about him and showing how great Brooklyn was, in all the stories he had just told her they always ended in "dey woulda died without Brooklyn" or "an Brooklyn saved da day again." Jen was lost in her thoughts, which seemed to happen a lot. Normally her thoughts would revolve around a world she had made in her head were everything was perfect but all she could think about now was "Who is Spot?" At first he seemed to be someone completely different from who she was seeing right now. On the bridge when she first met Spot he was free, he didn't seem to be hiding anything, he wasn't holding back his emotions. But right now as he talks to Jack his real feelings are hidden and when they slip through he retrieves them as fast as he can. Why?

Jens was quickly snapped out of her thoughts when the room began to fill with newsies. They were a ragged bunch, there were a few that looked like they had a homes, family, mothers, but the rest looked as though they had just woken up and gotten ready in 5 seconds. She saw some familiar face from Brooklyn mixed in with crowd, but they weren't that familiar either seeing that she had only met them yesterday.

Jack and Spot were done with the business talk and came back and sat next to Jen at the table, and then others came. David was the first newsies that came and sat down with them, he was about 18, curly hair, well-mannered, he was one of the kids that didn't live at a lodging house that was obvious. Jen had heard about him before, just by a different name, for some reason Spot calls him mouth but no one else does. She was about to ask why but then a guy came up, his arm around a girl, and the conversation turned to them.

"Mush, Scarlet we'se were wonderin when you'se were gonna show up." Jack spoke up "Dis is Jen, Jen dis is Mush and dats Scarlet."

Scarlet was a tall, scrawny, red head with pale skin and lots of freckles, but unlike most the red heads Jen had seen, Scarlet was really pretty, in an odd sort of way.

"Hi." Jen said with a smile on her face she was happy to meet another girl, and Mush was probably the best looking newsies, no guy she had ever met. They all went back to talking about what they had been talking about before.

"Hey Scarlet go show Jen around, go introduce 'er ta some more newsies or somethin, we'se got some guy stuff ta talk bout, stuff you'se wouldn't understand." Mush said with a smile on his face giving a little laugh at the end.

Scarlet looked at him with a surprised look on her face. "Whatever ever you'se say master." She said mockingly pushed him and then turned to Jen. "Come on let go get somethin to drink, leave dese boys ta dere "guy" talk." She smiled at Jen and Jen smiled back. They both walked away from the table and headed to the back of the room where there was a table with different drinks on it.

"So, you'se Spots new goil or somethin?" Scarlet asked.

"No." Jen said shaking her head and adding a laugh. "No, I'se a newsies, well I'se jist started Spots just showin me da ropes."

"You'se a goil newsie in Brooklyn?" Scarlet said in shocked voice.

"Yeah, is dere somethin wrong with dat?"

"Yeah, well no, it's jist it doesn't 'appen. What's it like bein a newsie over dere?" she said now very interested.

"It's great, once you'se show dem up at poker." Jen was proud of her winnings.

"You'se a poker playa, I'm startin ta like you'se Jen." Scarlet said flashing Jen a smile.

"So what bout you'se? You'se an Mush over dere look pretty close." She said as she looked back over her shoulder at the handsome young man sitting at the table they had just left.

"No, no ,no, 'e's like a brotha ta me, da thought of me an 'im together disgusts me." Scarlet said as she scrunched up her face.

"If 'e disgusts you'se somethin 'as got ta be wrong with you'se." they both burst out laughing, everyone around turned and look at the two girls, including all the guys at the table.

Scarlet and Jen talked with one another for most of the night. They had a lot in common, they both liked poker, they were both 16, though Scarlet had been a newsie since she was 12, both of their families are dead, and that's just a start. Jen really enjoyed having a friend that's was a girl to talk to, especially since there weren't any in Brooklyn. It seemed to Jen that they had only been talking for about 30 minutes, but when they got back to the table the party was ending and most of the newsies there had already headed out. There was only Spot, Jack and Mush left at the table.

"You'se were gone all night, we'se were bout ta leave without you'se." Mush said turning towards them as they walked up.

"Why didn't you'se? I'se coulda made it 'ome all right." Scarlet rolled her eyes and giving him a grin.

"So, you'se enjoy you'se self tanight?" Spot questioned Jen

"Yeah I'se did, it was a lot of fun." Jen answered.

"We'se should be heading back now we'se got a long walk an it's getting dark." And with dat everyone at the table got up and headed for the door.

"Tell me if you 'ear anythin else Spot." Jack yell as himself, Scarlet, and Mush headed to the Manhattan lodging house.

"I'se will think bout it." Spot said looking back over his shoulder at Jack, flashing a sarcastic smirk.

Spot and Jen made it back to the lodging house pretty later and most the boys were sleeping. There were a few still up talking about the party but when they Spot walk in they swiftly made their way to their bunks and fell asleep.

"See yah tomorrow Jen." Spot said as he made his way to his own bed.

"Yeah." Jen said as she yawned and fell back on her bed and quickly fell asleep as well.

Thanks for reading and please comment!

The next chapter is going to switch back and forth between Jens POV and Scarlets POV so it could get a little confusing but I will Tell you when I'm changing Characters.


	4. When the Time Comes

**Disclaimer - No I don't own newsies, and I never will, I do however own the character I made up, so yeah!**

**Please comment, because if you don't I don't write, so comment.**

**Ok so everyone who has asked or wondered about Luke's broken leg, you will get an answer but it will be in a little bit, I have the chapter its in already written I just don't have the chapters in between this one and that one written yet, so just relax you will find out, someday!**

**Enjoy!**

*Manhattan P.O.V.*

"There's a war comin." Was the first thing that came out of Jacks mouth as they walked back to the lodging house after the party.

"What? When did dis 'appen?" Mush said in a shocked voice, yet still a little playfully. Jack had been fine all night so Mush was thinking it was a joke. Everything had been fine and dandy since all the boroughs came together during the strike, and no one saw any indications that anything had changed. But when Mush looked at Jacks face, he knew he was being completely serious.

"Da Bronx is gittin greedy an dere bringing Queens." Jacks face was very cold, his tone the same. "Spot informed me of dis before da party. 'e doesn't know when, but 'e said it would 'appen soon. We'se gotta git da boys ready."

"How does dis 'appenin an no one see it comin?" Scarlet questioned, just as shocked as Mush was. She was also angry with herself for not knowing, she was Jacks best bird, and she had let him down, then a feeling of guilt swept over her. '_Why didn't I see dis coming, 'ow could I 'ave not, I'm so stupid.'_ these phrases ran through her head over and over again as they walked.

"I don't know, but it seems Thunder is goin ta be a stronger leader den anyone thought." Jack seemed out of character tonight, his normal happy, clam, yet powerful personality seemed to just melt away on their walk home. Scarlet could tell that the news had just now hit him, or maybe just that the loud music and dancing had helped disguise their leaders emotions. The Jack she saw right now was completely different then the one she was use to, even when he got disturbing news he never acted this way. For the mighty Spot Conlon hiding his true feelings was an everyday thing, but for Cowboy, it just didn't fit.

They walked the rest of the way back to the lodging house in complete silence. Each one thinking about how something this big could slip by without notice, and why was the Bronx joining up with Queens to come after Manhattan?

When they finally reached the lodging house, all the lights were still on, and the place was filled with joyful shouting. Jack went strait to one of the spare rooms where he always went when he had a lot on his mind, where he could think without all the racket. He stayed in there all night. Every once an awhile you could hear a loud thud like he was pounding on the walls, but it would only last for a few brief seconds at a time.

Mush and Scarlet join a game of poker that Racetrack had started about five minutes before they arrived, although they both had a hard time concentrating with their thoughts always straying back to the conversation the had just had on their way home, and all the questions it stirred up. The lodging house stayed pretty lively into the early hours of the morning when the ones still up decided to head to bed.

"Scarlet, you'se off your game tonight, what's da matter wit you?" Race said to Scarlet as they walked up the stairs side by side. Scarlet normally gave Race a run at his money but tonight he won with out having to really try. Race would normally just rub it in her face, but tonight he could tell something was up. What ever it was it had Jack, Mush, and Scarlet acting weird, and he wasn't going to let it slide by. He pulled Scarlet off to the side once they got to the top of the stair well. "What's goin on, somethins got you, Mush, and Cowboy all worked up, and I want in, so spill it."

Scarlet looked up at him trying hard not to show her concern, but like Jack it didn't fit her to hide her feelings, and Race could see that this was big. She shook her head and finally added "Go ask Jack." then she turned away and went to her bunk.

Race stood there for a moment watching her as she left, then he quickly made his way up another flight of stairs and down the hall to a room that had once had a name written on the window of the door but all that was left now was the _'Mr.'_ part, where he knew he would find Jack. Race tried to open the door but found that it was locked so he raised his fist to the window and gave it a few hard knocks.

"What." A harsh voice called from the other side of the old door.

"Open up." Race said in a voice that was just as harsh as Jacks.

"Git outta 'ere Race, jist let me 'ave sometime ta think." You could hear the stress in his voice as he tried to shoe off one of his close friends.

"You'se been up 'ere for hours, I think you've had enough time to think on your own, now it my turn to 'elp." Race said as he knocked on the window once again, but this time he didn't stop tell he heard the footsteps coming to the door and the lock unlatch. Then he reached down to the door knob and open it.

"What's up Jack, you'se been up 'ere all night, and if your fighting the walls, let me tell yah somethin, dey're gonna win." he said adding a bit of sarcasm to lighten the air.

Jack laughed a little, but then he turned to stone once again. "I don't know what ta do Race, there's a war comin."

"Wit who?" Races eyes widened at the sound of war.

"Da Bronx." Jack took a long pause, still unable to grasp why two boroughs would join together to take Manhattan. "And Queens."

Races forehead wrinkled up and his eyes searched the room as if he thought that he would find answers written on the walls, then after a few moments he moved his focus back to Jack. "Why." He paused thinking about what he was going to say. "Why both of dem?"

Jack was just as confused as Race was. The whole thing was strange, Queens and The Bronx hated each other, the only other borough they both hated more than each other was Brooklyn. "It's Brooklyn." Jack whispered just loud enough for Race to hear.

"You'se think Brooklyn is comin after us? Have you lost your mind Cowboy?" Races face becoming even more confused.

Jack looked up from the floor at Racetrack, he shook his head and then explained his theory to him.

They both spent the rest of the night up there talking about what they were going to do about this mess they found themselves in.

*Downstairs in the bunkroom*

Scarlet lay on her top bunk, one leg dangling down off the bunk her hands weaved into her bright red hair, staring at the ceiling. She was trying her hardest to get her mind off the subject of the up coming war, but it wasn't working out as well as she wanted it to, and her mind kept jumping back to it. After about 30 minutes of staring at the ceiling her eyes finally began to close and her mind drifted off.

Dream

They walked through central park, the leaves on the trees were just turning red and yellow, soon they would fall to the ground. The twelve and fourteen year old stood close together, the boy had his arm resting on the girls shoulder and hers around his waist. The boy was very handsome, he was about 5' 9" and well built. His eyes were a brilliant blue color, the outer ring was a deep blue the color got lighter and lighter until it reached the center of his eyes. His dark, wavy, brown hair was parted to the left side of his head, a few waves hung across his forehead just above his brow. The girl had vibrant red hair pulled back into a messy bun, a few wispy bangs were swept across her face. She was around 5' 4" and very skinny. The wind was blowing slightly as they walked. It was perfect, they were perfect.

"Julian." The twelve year old Scarlet said to the boy next to her.

"Yeah?" His voice was soothing, his eyes looking into hers, mesmerizing her. She smiled a little at the sound of his voice, then she quickly moved her lips to his cheek, giving him a small innocent kiss. When she pulled away her cheeks turned red, and she looked away shyly. He smiled, wrapping his other arm around her and pulled her close. They stayed that way for awhile, people walking by gave the strange looks but they didn't care they were in love and didn't care what anyone else thought of it.

"Cass, I've gotta git goin, I 'ave my sister ta look after now." he said as he kissed her forehead and released his arms from around her neck.

She looked at him, her eyes pleading him not to go, to just forget about everything and run away with her, but his eyes answered her like they always did, _'no, you know I can't'. _She knew that was always what the answer was going to be, but she asked every time they had the leave each other anyways just incase he changed his mind. But he love his sister to much to leave her on her own like he did before, but she wanted to be with him always and his sister made that hard, seeing that she didn't particularly like Scarlet.

He gave her one last hug and a kiss, this time on the lips, making her blush once again, then he turned towards the street and began to walk away from her as she turned the opposite way and did the same.

He was about half way across when an out of control trolley came around the corner crashing into Julian before he even saw it coming.

Scarlet heard the loud noise behind her making her quickly turn around, she saw a large crowd begin to form, making it impossible for her to see what happen from where she was, so she quickly made he way to the crowd, she squeezed through all the people making her way to the center. On the street Julian lay motionless, his body all scraped up from the crash, and a puddle of blood was beginning to form below his head. Scarlet screamed and fell to her knees beside his lifeless body. She shook him, screaming his name hoping he was just sleeping or something, tears began to flow down her and she continued to scream _'Julian'_ over and over again.

"Scarlet." she opened her eyes, her face drench with her tears. She look over to the right side of the bunk where the voice had come from. She as about to thank the person who woke her from the nightmare of her old life, but then she noticed the only person she didn't wont to see, the only person that could make her feel the way Julian had.

"You'se ok dere Scarlet, yah woke me up wit your screamin, an when I got over 'ere you were sobbin so I thought I should wake you'se up." Kid Blink was starring into her green eyes, with a worried look on his face. Scarlet closed her eyes and then opened them again hoping Blink would just disappear, but he didn't, he just continued to stare at her.

"Yeah, I'm fine, you'se can go back ta your own bunk now." She snapped at him hopping he would leave quickly. He did. Blink jumped off the bottom buck he had been standing on, muttering a few word under his breath that Scarlet didn't catch, as he walked to his bunk about four rows down.

Scarlet waited about 20 minutes to make sure Blink had fallen asleep before she got up and made her way across the bunk room, noticing that Race and Jacks bunks were still empty, to the door and quietly made her way through it and down the stairs and out of the lodging house. It was about 4 a.m. and the sky was still dark, the air still very chilly as well, seeing that it was nearing the end of November the temperature was only going the rise about 5 degrees when the sun came up. She walked down the disserted Manhattan streets, being a bird she would have to do it several times a week, now she was almost more comfortable walking down the streets at night with no one around, than when it's mid day and there were several people out and about. When she got tired of walking she found a bench on the sidewalk to rest on. She stretched her arms along the top of the backrest, and let her head fall back so she could see the last bit of stars before the sun came up and washed away the few that were left. _'It's been four years why can't I jist forget 'im?' _she questioned herself, and then shaking her head getting that thought far from her mind. Half of her wanted to forget her past and just let got, but the other side wouldn't let her forget Julian. She always let her Julian side win, she had made a promise to herself and Julian that she wouldn't love again and she was going to keep that promise if it killed her. _'Whose Blink anyways, some stupid newsie always trying to 'elp me like I'm some goil who can't do anything by myself.' _She quickly got up forcing herself to change the subject in her mind. The sun had risen while she was sitting on the bench and now it hung just above the horizon, so she made her way back to the lodging house and got ready for the day.

*Brooklyn P.O.V.*

Jen got up early again, she wasn't use to the sun in the morning, she had no windows in the small room she had shared with her brother, so she had never had to deal the morning sunlight, but it didn't really bother her, being awake up at the crack of dawn. Jen liked to take her time when she did stuff like washing her face and brushing her hair, though it didn't take her hours to do those things she still liked having free time to just think, especially when she had an amazing view from the roof she could look at as she thought.

She could spend days up on the roof and never get bored, it was the best view of the city she had ever seen, and probably ever would. She had seen a view like this once before, yet not quite as spectacular, with her brother when she was eight and he was ten.

*Flashback*

"It's just up a few more flights." Luke said over his shoulder to his sister as she tried her best to stay in step with him but always failed miserably.

"Why are we even comin up 'ere for in da foist place." Jen moaned, stopping to catch her breath. They had gone up four flights of stairs already and Jen just want to roll over and die, she had been running up the stair as fast as her short legs would allow but she was still to slow to catch Luke. When she looked up again he was already out of sight, so she began to run up the stairs once again. She stopped a few feet away from the door that led out to the roof, Luke was standing there waiting for her, his face had a very inpatient look on it. Before Jen had time to thank him for waiting, he had opened the door and pushed her out onto the roof.

Jens eyes lit up at the site, there were a few tall buildings blocking parts of the view but other than that it was great.

"Wow, when did yah find dis place?" Jen exclaimed still wide eyed. "Dis is da best place you've shown me so far!" Luke loved to look for and find places that had great views of the city, half for his own enjoyment and half for the reaction Jen had when he show it to her.

"I thought you'd like dis one." Luke looked out over the building as well, a big grin covering his face.

That had been the last place Luke had shown her, the last time Jen had seen Luke really smile.

*Now*

That was the day before Frank and Louise had gotten married, the day before their whole lives changed for the worst. _'If only you could see this view'_ she thought to herself. The memory of her brother brought tears to her eyes, she had always wanted to find a place to show him, now that she had finally found one he was never going to be able to see it. The tears that had welled up in her eyes finally made there way down her cheeks.

"Fancy seein you'se up 'ere again." Spots voice called from the fire escape when he saw Jens silhouette on the ledge. She quickly wiped away her tears before she turned around and gave Spot a warm smile. He came and sat down next to her like he had done the day before.

" 'ow did you git your name?" She questioned him after they had been talking for a few minutes.

"Why do you'se want ta know?" He looked at her with his icy eyes, no emotion coming from them.

"Well everyone seems ta 'ave a story, but I 'aven't heard yours."

"Dat's a story for a later day." he said brushing her question off, and quickly changing the subject.

'_Why won't 'e tell me, what does 'e gotta hide, I wonder if any of da other newsies knew 'is story, or maybe he never told anybody and only da ones who gave it ta 'im knew.'_ The theories danced in her head as Spot told the story of the last turf war that had happened. She found herself halfway listening but most of the time she was thinking to herself only being pulled out of her thoughts when she heard words like 'death', 'gun', 'knife', or any swear words he muttered to himself after remembering something either great or terrible. She was finally snapped all the way out of her thoughts when she noticed him getting up and making his way to the fire escape.

"You comin Sunshine." he called to her over his shoulder when he noticed she hadn't gotten up with him.

"Um," she paused thinking about the last time she had gone into the bunk room when the boys were getting ready. "I think I'll stay up 'ere for a little longer, if you could yell up 'ere when you'se are planin on leavin, I'd be very thankful." she flashed a smile at him.

"Yeah whatever, but you'se are gonna have ta git use ta da male body sometime or another." he said with a smirk, letting out a small laugh as Jen quickly became red in the face and turned away from him.

"I'm fine wit da male body, when it 'as clothes on." she said without looking at him, her face still red as a tomato. He gave another laugh and then head down the fire escape.

' '_ow did 'e know dat was da reason I wasn't coming down?' _she asked herself as she looked to the sky and let out a sigh of embarrassment. It really irked her that Spot seemed to know every little thing about every little thing.

Frank had always told her that newsies were stupid, worthless, and a waste of space, she had believed him, but now that she had actually met one she knew that she was the stupid one for believing anything that came out of Franks mouth. Newsies were some of the smartest people she knew, they knew how to save the little money they got, work hard, they knew how to survive without a home, a family, without a good meal every six hours, which was more then she could say for the 'smart' people she new. If you were to take a scientist and tell him he had to live on the streets and have to fend for himself for a month, the is no way he could survive. _'Why did Frank 'ate newsies so much, what 'ad dey ever done ta him?' _Jen wondered, and then she snapped out of her thoughts before she could come up with any theories, when she heard Spot calling for her. She was Glad she had been distracted from her thought, she never wanted to think about Frank ever again, she hated him, and wished she would have had the guts to kill him all the times she had thought about it.

She got up and quickly made her way down the fire escape and back into the bunk room. All the boys had already left the room, all of them except Spot who was next to his bunk his back facing her. When he heard Jen slip through the window he turned towards her, his shirt completely unbuttoned, showing his nicely cut chest and abs. Jen quickly turned her head, feeling the blood rushing to her head. Spot came even closer to her, his smirk grew bigger with every step he took. Jen wanted to run out of the room but her feet were glued to the floor, so she just turned her head around until she couldn't move it any farther. He was only about a foot in front of her when he finally stopped.

"Really Spot, you're a jerk." she said, her head still turned away from Spot.

"What, I 'ave all my clothes on." He said sarcastically. Jen looked back at him making sure she focused on his head so she wouldn't turn red again. She tried her hardest to keep a straight face. The stood there for a minute or two in silence, then Jen finally got up the strength to pull her feet off the ground and walk around Spot and through the door. Once she was outside of the door she let out a sigh of relief, she had felt so awkward but all she wanted to do now was catch another glimpse of Spots stomach, it took all her will power to not walk back to the door and sneak a quick look. She couldn't help but smile as she walked down the stairs, there was no one around so she felt there was no use in hiding it. She had just gotten out the front doors of the lodging house when Spot caught up with her and she swiftly removed the smile from her face.

"You'se know dat wasn't very nice." Jen said still looking forward.

"But it was worth it ta see da expression one your face." he said as he looked over at her. "Stop pouting and 'urry up or we'se ain't gonna make it ta da circulation office before it opens." he grabbed her arm and began to run down the street quickly catching up with the crowd of newsies waiting outside the circulation office.

They got a few strange looks as they joined the crowd and began to make their way to the front. Spot was always first to get to the circulation office, it was only on rare occasions that he wasn't so the boys weren't use to seeing him walk through the crowd.

Jen was forth in line today, only Spot, Shadow, and Tweet in front of her. Chaos had seen her so close to the front an squeezed his way in next to her, a few of the older boys murmured a few choice words to the boy, but other then that they didn't complain.

The headlines were good today, 'A forty-five year old man had been found shot to death in a Manhattan ally, the police have yet to find the person responsible', so Jen decided to get fifty papers. She sold with Spot for half the of the morning like they had done the days before, but this time Spot stopped her after a few hours of selling.

"You'se ready ta try dis all by yourself?" Jens eyes widened, she knew she was going ta have to start selling by herself sometime but she had never thought it was going to be this soon, she nodded her head yes, pushing away any doubt in her mind that she wasn't. There was still an underlining of doubt in her nod that Spot picked up on quickly.

"I think you'll do fine." He said reassuring her, then he pointed down the street next to a fancy dress shop. "I'm jist gonna be a block away if anything is ta 'appens, so don't freak out on me. I'll come over when I'm done sell my papes and will go ta lunch at Chances then I'll show yah another good sellin spot." She agreed and started yelling out headlines as Spot walked down to the spot he had pointed to.

Jen had only a few papers left when Spot finished his and started to make his way through the busy street towards her. She saw him coming a began to yell the headline faster and louder, she caught the eye of a small group of girls chattering on the other side of the street, the quickly made their way over to Jen and bought the few papers she had left right before Spot arrived. They quickly made their way to Chances. They walked into the restaurant and at once Jens stomach began to gargle, a feeling of hunger engulfed her entire body.

The booth that they sat two days ago for lunch was open, so they sat there and waited for a waiter to come. While they waited Jen and Spot talked about their day, or at least the part they didn't spend together. When Jen saw the waiter coming towards them she looked into her pocket, quickly counting the change she had. Jen had just enough for the clam chowder she had two days ago and still be able to pay for forty papers for her afternoon sale.

The waiter got to their table and took their order, Jen got the clam chowder with a glass of water, and Spot got a roaster beef sandwich with a glass of water. It didn't take long for the waiter come back from the kitchen with their food, which Jen was extremely happy about, her stomach had been growing louder and louder with every minute of waiting.

Spot and Jen were both pretty hungry so most of their meal went on with very little conversation.

When Jen was got done with her last bite of soup, Spot had been done for a good minute or two so the left without wasting much time.

"Ok, we'se are gonna 'ave ta walk a little fast ta get our papes and get ta da spot with enough time ta sell, so 'urry up." Spot said as the arrived at the circulation office to buy their afternoon additions.

"Don't worry bout me, I can walk fast." Jen said as she picked up her speed just enough to pass Spot a get to the line right before him.

"We'll jist 'ave ta see bout dat now wont we." he replied, grabbing her arm and yanking her behind him, and then walking to the front of the line dragging Jen behind him.

"Kings don't come second, stupid." her said with a smug look on his face.

They quickly got their papers and left the circulation office, not even bother to look at their papers while they were still there. Not that they needed to, the headlines hadn't changed, there was still no suspects in the murder of the forty-five year old, but they did include a description of the man, he was partially bald with dark brown hair, he was 6' 2", 230 pounds.

'_Wonder if dey've found Luke yet, Frank 'as gotten pretty good at covering up 'is crimes so 'e was probably smart enough to 'ide his body.' _Jen hated her self for thinking of Luke as just a dead body, but that's what he was now, she had heard a shot it the ally and Frank was the only one with the gun, so if Frank bullet didn't kill Luke instantly then he would have bled out over night. _'You'se gotta git over it.'_ Spots voice played in her head, she was trying, she really was, but for some reason she just couldn't get over her past, like a part of he still believed that Luke was alive but her mind was already on overload trying to learn how to be a good newsie, so for it to take time away from its busy schedule to shut that part of her up was just to much for it to handle at the moment.

They had been walking a while now, both of them walking pretty fast, Spot picked up the pace a little, challenging what she had said before at the circulation office. She stepped up her own pace to keep up with him, when she was just getting use to the speed Spot had picked, he started jogging, and so she did as well. They took a sharp corner and Spot stopped in his tracks. His body suddenly stiffened and his eyes glazed over. He was staring at a girl with long, straight, dark, chocolate brown hair, she had a rather strong build for height being so short, she was a newsie but she wasn't from Brooklyn. The girl he was staring at quickly ducked into an ally when he saw him, hoping he didn't see or recognize her, but he had and he took off towards the ally, just grabbing the girl as she started running down the ally to get away from him. Jen quickly fallowed not wanting to be left alone in a place she had never been before.

"What are you'se doin sneaking around 'ere in Brooklyn Lyric." Spot growled pinning the girl against the brick, ally wall, with his cane he had pulled out of his belt loop.

"Nothin." The girl Spot had called lyric said piercingly, her face extremely cold.

"What are you'se doin 'ere." he said again, anger growing in his voice as he repeated himself.

"When da time comes for you'se ta find out yah will, you don't want me ta ruin da surprise of a life time do yah." Lyric said with a mocking tone.

"If Queens is even thinkin of tryin ta take Brooklyn you'se better of dead." he said as he pushed on his cane a little harder lifting Lyric off the ground.

" We'll see bout dat now won't we." Spots eye instantly became colder, harsher, angrier, scarier. He reached his hand up to her neck and threw her to the other side of the ally, she landed on her back and before she could get back up Spots foot was planted on her neck. He crouched down and replaced his foot with his cane, and a smirk appeared on his face.

"I paid for Brooklyn with my own sweat and blood, jist try ta take 'er away." he lifted his cane from her neck and it didn't take her more then a second tell she was up and sprinting down the ally. Spot took out his sling shot and picked up a few sharp rocked from the ground and started shooting them at her, each rock hit perfectly making her jump in pain. Spot continued to pelt her with the sharp rocks until she turned a corner and disappeared. Spot stood their looking at the empty ally for a while, a blank stare covered his face, then he turned around seeing Jen staring at him with the same blank stare he had. She had never seen him like that, she had seen him angry when Tweet told him about The Bronx, but that wasn't anything like now, now he was truly livid, his eyes so intense, so scary, he was scaring Jen.

She looked at him in a totally different light now, he could have killed her, she thought that he was going to. _'But he didn't.'_ her mind screamed but her all her body wanted to do was run and never look back. _' 'e's not Frank, 'e promised you 'e wouldn't let anyone 'urt you, trust 'im.' _that was what her mind said to make her stay, to keep her from running away.

"Lets go sell." Spot said, almost commanding her.

She had so many questions, but she didn't wont to ask right now with him being so furies, so she bit her tongue and followed him to the place they had been heading to before Spot had seen the girl.

They reached Spots selling spot and they started hawking the headline. They spent the rest of the day selling without speaking to each other, and when they did speak it was only a few words at best. Jen could tell Spot wasn't in the mood for selling, she was able to keep up with him, which was very different then the past two days. When they finished the sun was just starting to set and it was getting rather cold outside. They walked fast trying to keep themselves warm, all thought the men's clothes were much comfier then dress, they aren't nearly as warm. In no time they found themselves at Chances, Spot opened the door for Jen, but then didn't walk in after her, he just stood there holding the door.

"You'se comin?" Jen asked as she stopped when Spot didn't come in behind her.

"Nah I'm gonna head ta da lodgin house, I'll be seein yah tomorrow." Spot said in a mostly normal voice, though there was a hint of stiffness intertwined in it, she could tell his head was somewhere else, so she nodded and head to a booth where Chaos and Tweet sat.

When they all got back to the lodging house Spot wasn't anywhere to be found, but Jen was ok with that, she wanted to give him time to cool down before she questioned him about what happened earlier. Her mind was still fill with questions that she knew would not get answered today if ever so she climbed in to her bunk and closed her eyes, pushing all her thoughts out and slipping in to a deep sleep.

**Thank you all for reading this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it.**

**Please comment and let me know what your thinking. And I do take all of the things you say into consideration while I write, so yeah, COMMENT!**

**Oh and I'm really trying not to use as much accent for you who don't care for it. **

**From here on out my chapters are going to be getting longer, I'm happy about that, so I hope you guys are too!**

**I am also going to be trying to get a new chapter out every month, forgive me if I don't. My next chapter should be out in September!**

**Have a nice day! =]**


	5. Lies and Fear Go Hand and Hand

**Read and Review!**

**Tell me what you loved, tell me what you hated, give me some constructive criticism.**

**Enjoy!**

*Queens P.O.V.*

She left Queens a little later then she had hoped, but it didn't really matter, the time for the meeting wasn't really set in stone, so if she was a few minutes late he would most likely forgive her. But Lyric didn't like being late so she quickly slipped into Brooklyn territory, she didn't want to pull to much attention to herself so she didn't go as fast as she wanted to but still faster then the average newsie walking down the streets. Brooklyn was not a safe place for a Queens's newsie to be, Queens hated Brooklyn but not nearly as much as Brooklyn hated Queens, but that's where she had agreed to meet and she wasn't going to back out now.

She took side allies and mostly deserted roads, making extra precautions to not be seen by one of the Brooklyn newsies. She was luck, the part of town that she agreed to meet at was free of newsies or anyone who could recognize her and inform the newsies of her visit. Lyric turned around the corner, she only had a block left before she was where she needed to be, and she was right on time. She took three steps around the corner, and then she froze, her eyes laid on Spot Conlon, red suspenders, sling shot, gold tipped cane, eye as cold as a iced over lake staring right at her.

"You've gotta be kiddin me." she mumble to herself along with a few choice words, as she turned into another ally as fast as she possibly could. _'Maybe 'e didn't see-'_ her thoughts were interrupted by a strong hand gripping her by the collar. She was face to face with the cold blue eyes she had learned to fear, she could see the anger in them and instantly became stiff. She hid the fear in her own eyes, knowing that if she let it show Spot would use it as a tool to rip her to shreds.

"What are you'se doin sneaking around 'ere in Brooklyn Lyric?" Spot growled pinning her against the brick ally wall, with his cane he had pulled out of his belt loop.

"Nothin." Lyric said piercingly, her face extremely cold.

"What are you'se doin 'ere?" he said again, anger growing in his voice as he repeated himself.

"When da time comes for you'se ta find out yah will, you don't want me ta ruin da surprise of a life time do yah." Lyric said with a mocking tone.

"If Queens is even thinkin of tryin ta take Brooklyn you'se better off dead." he said as he pushed on his cane a little harder lifting Lyric off the ground. _'Why would 'e say dat, what does 'e know.' _she thought in disbelief.

" We'll see bout dat now won't we." Spots eye instantly became colder, harsher, angrier, scarier. He reached his hand up to her neck and threw her to the other side of the ally, she landed on her back and before she could get back up Spots foot was planted on her neck. He crouched down and replaced his foot with his cane, and a smirk appeared on his face.

"I paid for Brooklyn with my own sweat and blood, jist try ta take 'er away." he lifted his cane away and before he had a chance to change his mind Lyric sprung off the ground and headed for the end of the ally.

After a few seconds of running she felt a sharp object lodge into her neck, and then another one in her left leg, she kept being assaulted by the objects Spot was fling at her with his sling shot, until she managed to reach the end of the ally and turn onto a different road, out of site of Spot. Lyric ran for another three blocks until she figured she had gone far enough and stopped to pull the things that had hit and embedded themselves into her skin out. She slowly reached her hand to the back of her neck and began to tug on the object until it came out. It was a rock, her blood covered it along with dirt, which would most likely cause her wounds to become infected.

'_Dat low life piece of scum.' _she screamed in her head, as she rolled the rock over in her hand.

When she done pulling out the rocks that she could reach she counted 10, and there had to be at least 4 or 5 more in the middle of her back that she couldn't reach. _'You'll 'ave your revenge soon enough.' _Her mind said claming her down and bringing a nasty smirk to her face. She took a deep breath to calm herself down, and threw the rocks to the ground before she began to run back toward Queens.

"Ain't you'se suppose ta be somewhere." A voice said as a hand reached out of an ally stopping her from passing. She knew what he was talking about, she had completely forgotten about the meeting she was on her way to when Spot had attack her.

"Face, I, I forgot." Lyric whispered, ashamed that she had forgotten something so important.

"Why?" He hissed.

"Spot saw me, 'e attacked me, I ran, I 'ad to, I couldn't stay in Brooklyn, I 'ad to come back 'ere." She said still weak but still stronger then the first words she spoke to him. Lyric wasn't the kind of girl to fear anything, she was a risk taker, but she knew her what risks she could take and which ones she would let be. Getting Face mad at her was one of those risks she wasn't willing to take, so she answered him with the truth and without any arrogant, mocking tone in her voice like she had normally.

Face was the leader of Queens, other then Spot there was no other leader that had been more powerful, stronger, greater. At fifteen he stood 6' 4" tall, his face covered in nasty scars 'dey're from my past, and my past will stay in da past.' was the only thing he had told anyone that asked about them. He had a shaved head, which revealed even more scars, his eyes were different colors, one blue and the other one completely black. He was unable to see anything but shadows out of the black one, some kind of accident when he was a baby left him that way, he said. He hated being asked about his past and soaked anyone who asked him about it more then once, that seemed to be his only weak spot, and no one knew why, because he never told anyone.

"Spot." he mumbled to himself angrily. "You let Spot see you." he huffed at her.

Lyric waited a moment before speaking, trying to make her words fit together right so that this conversation wouldn't end in a soaking. "I will set up another meeting, don't worry Spot doesn't suspect anything, I made sure of dat." Spot knew more than she was letting Face believe, a lot more, but for her own safety she had to lie, there was no way of getting around it.

"Fine, but if you'se screw everything up you better leave before I find out bout it or you'se ain't gonna be around ta see da consequences." He lifted his hand off her arm, turned his back to her, and walked down the ally they were talking in.

Lyric stood there for a moment after Face left, just staring at the wall that had been behind him. 'Why, why didn't I check dat corner, why did I think dat I was safe? Now Spot knows somethins gonna 'appen an it's gonna be all my fault if da plans don't go poifectly.' she slammed her fists against the brick wall as hard as she possibly could, blood began to cover her knuckles and fall to the grown. She walked out of the ally the way Face did, she went as slow as possible, hoping to put off seeing him again as long as she could. She absolutely hated the feeling of guilt dwelling inside of her, she was strong, nothing ever got to her, but the possibility of her being the sole reason why Face's plan was going to end up going down the drain struck a cord in her.

*Brooklyn P.O.V.*

Spot was gone by the time Jen woke up, in fact she hadn't seen him since he went to the lodging house instead of going to Chances with her. _'Who is 'e?' _She wondered as she sat with her feet dangling over the ledge of the roof. _'I jist don't get 'im, 'e's so different. Every day 'e changes, every minute 'e changes, first 'e is nice an pays for my papes and food, den 'e 'ides 'is feelings from Jack, an yesterday 'e attracted dat Lyric girl.' _her face Quickly turned from confusion to a little bite of shock and panic. _'Is 'e gonna leave me all alone to sell today? I can't sell by myself, I can't, 'e wouldn't do dat ta me, would 'e?' _She rushed across the roof, down the fire escape and through the window into the bunk room. Everyone was up and getting ready, but she didn't care she had to find Spot. She made her way through the crowd of dressing boys, she couldn't find him, he still wasn't there. She kept looking and finally found Shadow, and quickly grabbed his arm so she wouldn't loose him in the mob, he turned around and put on a shocked face when he saw that it was Jen who was tugging on his arm.

"Do yah know where Spot is?" she asked.

"I thought 'e was up dere wit you."

"Naw, 'e was already gone by the time I woke up." she try her best to keep her concern concealed and worry inside.

"Well 'e left late last night, so 'e might 'ave jist stayed out, you know 'e does dat sometime." Shadow said as he turned his back and walked towards a sink with a cracked mirror hanging above it.

She stood there for a minute or two before she turned and slowly left the room and made her way down the stairs and onto a chair in the room just at the bottom of the stairs. _'I can do dis, I sold sorta by myself yesterday, I don't need 'im anymore, I can do it by myself now.' _her brain said, somewhat reassuring her of her own abilities, she wasn't sure if she believe it though. She had always had someone looking after her, her mother, Luke, and then Spot, but right now she was alone and other then the night when she ran away leaving Luke in the ally, this was really the first time in her life she had been by herself and that scared her but she was going o have to deal with it, and the sooner the better.

"I can do this, I can." she whispered to herself as the rest of the Brooklyn newsies came down the stair like a pack of elephants. She got up from her chair and pushed herself into the mass of boy that were her family now, her friends, her everything. As they all left the lodging house Chaos found his way to Jens side and tugged on her shirt sleeve, getting her to acknowledge that he was standing right beside her.

" 'eya Jen, where's Spot dis morning?" Chaos said starting a conversation with her.

" 'ow do yah except me ta know where 'e is all da time." She snapped at him, she was starting to get annoyed that she didn't know where he was and the fact that he had just left her all alone for today, but then she realized how rude she had been for just snapping at Chaos when all he had done was ask a simple question and swiftly apologized.

"It's ok, I jist thought dat you'se and 'im are always together dat maybe 'e said something ta you about where 'e was goin ta be today." Chaos said with a smile on his unwashed face.

"I know, I'm jist a little scared of 'avin ta sell by myself today." She looked to the ground a little ashamed of herself, she was talking to an little kid who was ten years old and he sold on his own everyday, and she was sixteen and scared of selling by herself.

"You'll do fine, and ta tell yah da truth I was scared the first time I 'ad ta sell on my own, too." he added a little chuckled and then continued. "Da feelin goes away after a year or two." She turn her head from the ground to Chaos as fast as she could.

"A year or two." Her face covered in complete shock, he just laughed and laughed.

"Ever 'eard of a joke. It ain't dat scary once yah git use ta it."

"Funny." she said as she shook her head at him with a smile on her lips.

They got there papers and then sat down to read them. Jen finished reading the headlines and made her way out of the circulation office and headed down the streets and allies she had taken with Spot to the selling spot next to the bakery. She was about half way there when she turned down an ally, she was looking at the ground so she didn't realize she took the ally right before the one she was suppose to take, when she finally looked up she was a few feet away from a brick wall, it was a dead end. She quickly turned around and started heading back to the opening but right in front of her, blocking her way, was two men in there 20's, both in ragged clothing staring her.

"Ain't you'se a pretty little ding." The man to her left said as he grabbed arm and pulled her close to himself.

"Yeah, what's a little goil like you'se doin in an ally like dis? You'se know we'se are bein rude, my name is Martin and his name is Ben, we've been looking for some fun an 'aven't found any yet, and I dink you'se could 'elp us out." the other man said as he pulled out a knife from the back pocket, and slide his thumb along the blade. "You'se don't want ta struggle now do yah." the man that had been holding on to her suddenly threw her on to the ground hard, her head thrashing into the dirty ground. She didn't stay on the ground for very long, she jumped up and punched the man to her left in the gut as hard as she could, making him gasp for air and crumble to the ground. The second man was at her side in moments, holding the knife across her face on her left cheek right above her jaw line.

"I thought I warned you'se not ta struggle. I guess I'm jist gonna 'ave to give you'se a taste of what goils git when dey struggle." He dug his knife deep into her jaw line, the tip of the blade just scrapping her jaw bone. The pain was unbearable, like nothing she had ever felt before. Tears began to fall from her eyes as the blade stopped just before it reached her chin, her eyes glazed over as the pain fade and her whole face started going numb. She was seeing all of this happen in slow motion, like it wasn't really happening, like it was all just a dream that she would soon wake up from, but it wasn't, it was all to real. Blood dripped down her neck and began to soak the collar of the shirt she was wearing, that's when he came after her again, this time slamming his left fist into the right side of her face, the force of his punch knocked her to the ground. He was about to come strike her again when he stopped.

"What do you think you street rats are doin 'ere." a voice from behind him yelled, the voice was fully of anger and rage, it was Spots. Jen could only make out a few words before she blacked out completely, but she knew she was going to be safe, she knew Spot wouldn't let them hurt her anymore then they already had.

Spot whipped out his cane and began to pound it into each mans body, each time hard and faster until they were just strands away from death, he would have killed them, but death was to good for them, he wanted them to feel the pain they had cause Jen and all the other helpless girl they had most likely done this to in the past, and the ones that hadn't been as fortunate as Jen. When he was done with the two men he ran to Jen and scooped her up in his arms, her face, neck, and shirt were drenched in blood, he had to get her to a doctor, fast. He took off running down the streets to the nearest hospital, it took him about five minutes to get there from where they had been, people on the streets all stared at him as he passed by them.

"I need 'elp." He yelled when he rushed into the hospital waiting room, Jen had, and still was loosing a lot of blood, a nurse rushed to his side when she saw where the yell came from and the broken Jen laying unconscious in Spots arms. Then more came and took her out of his arms an laid her on a table type bed that had wheels attached to the ends of the legs, after she was laid down they quickly ran down a hall way and through a door way.

"You not allowed to go in there sir, I'm going to have to ask you to wait out here." One of the nurses said to Spot, standing in front of him so he couldn't get through the doors.

"Listen 'ere lady, it's either you'se let me in, or I make yah." Spot said pushing the lady to the side when she didn't move out of his way, and ran after the nurses that where pushing Jen away.

They took her into an all white room with several machines, they stuck needles and tubes into her, and then the machines started lighting up and beeping. Spot stop outside the room, looking in through a small window, he could only heard snip bits of the conversations going on in the room. "Blood transfusion." "She'll need some sutures." He didn't know what they were talking about, he couldn't understand half the things they were saying let alone the words they shouted that he could hear. He just stood there and stared at her, she looked like she was in so much pain and he could do nothing to help her, all he could do was think about how he let her down, how he didn't keep his promise and he hated himself for that, he told her he wouldn't let anyone hurt her, and someone did.

After about twenty minutes a doctor came out and saw Spot standing there watching, and tapped him on the shoulder pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Sir, your not suppose to be here." She said in a soft but firm voice.

"I'm not leaving." Spot spoke through his teeth. "I'm not leaving her alone again."

"But sir-" He cut her off with an angry glare. "You can stay." she said as she walked to a desk near by and wrote a few words on a card.

"What is your name?" she looked up at him waiting for an answer.

"Spot Conlon." He said proudly.

She looked for a moment at him with a strange look on her face think that he was just making a joke, but when he didn't say anything else she turned back to the card and started writing again, when she was done she slipped the card into Spots hand.

"If anyone tells you to leave or asks you if your suppose to be here, just show them this card." Spot nodded his head, then she turned around and began walking to where ever she was heading before she had noticed him.

Spot looked at the card as the doctor walked away, it was a small white card with the few words she had written on it that read 'Dr. Wilkins authorized Spot Conlon to remain in room 284.' Spot looked up at Jens room, the number over the door was 284 so he walked over to the door and opened it all the way and walked in. A few of the nurses were still in the room standing around Jens bed, one of them came over to him and told him to get out, so he did as the doctor told him to and show the nurses the card and from then on they all left him alone.

Dr. Wilkins came in to the room again with two other nurses, she walked over to Spot and asked him a few quick question.

"What is the girls name?" was the first questioned she asked.

"Jen Richards."

"Any family?"

"No."

"Has she had any illnesses we should know about?"

"I don't know."

"How did Jen get this way?"

"Two scum's of da earth attacked 'er." her eyes widened as she looked at him, but then she continued with the questions.

"Did you report the two people to the police?"

"I dealt wit dem."

"We are going to take her to stitch up that cut on her jaw, but you are going to have to stay here, I will be with her the whole time, and I will make sure nothing happens to her." Spot looked at her, he fought with himself over weather to stay in the room or force his way to where ever they were taking Jen.

"Fine." He said after a minute when he finally decide that he would trust the doctor to take care of her and he would stay behind.

"It will be about and hour and thirty minutes, and she will be back in her and be ready to leave in the morning." She smiled at him and then followed the nurses rolling Jen away.

Like the doctor had said Jen was back in the within an hour and a half. The large cut on her face was stitched together with a thin black material, the cut was still about a half an inch wide even with the stitches pulling it together. The bruise on her other cheek was finally starting to set in, her eye was beginning to swell up, the whole right side of her face was turning a reddish color, and soon her face would be black and blue.

It was twelve o'clock when Jen started to wake up, she groaned in pain as she opened her eyes, which made Spot jump to his feet and get to her side as soon as he possible could.

"Spot." Her voice was soft, hardly a whisper.

"Yeah, I'm right 'ere." He looked her in the eyes trying hard to read her emotions through them.

"Danks." Spot was shocked, if he was in her position he would be screaming and yelling, not saying thanks.

"You're a stupid goil, you shouldn't be dankin me, you should be wantin ta kill me. I'm the only reason your 'ere in dis 'ospital, I wasn't dere ta protect you like I said I would, I broke my promise ta you, why are you danking." She looked at him and try to smile but ended up wincing in pain instead.

"Your da only reason I'm alive, don't beat yourself up, I could 'ave asked one of da guy if I could sell wit dem, but I didn't, so its jist as much my fault as yours." He shook his head slightly, not enough for her to notice with her half closed eyes. She slowly lifted her hand to her face and ran her index finger softly across her cut, then she tried to smile again.

"At least the scar will be cool." Spot laughed a little at her comment.

"You're a newsie already." he said with a smirk plastered on his face. "Jen, do yah think you can walk?" Spot asked after a minute or two.

"It was only my face they hurt." she said in a sarcastic manner. "I should be fine, why?"

"Well unless you got lots of money laying around somewhere, we can't pay for da 'ospital bill. So, we'se gonna 'ave ta sneak out of 'ere, you up for it?" his smirk grew bigger with every word he said.

"Sounds like an awfully big adventure, count me in." she said smiling as big as she could with out it bringing pain to herself.

Spot found her clothes in one of the closets in the room, and gave them to her, the shirt was dark brown so the dry blood on it wasn't too noticeable. She quickly changed, making Spot turn around to give her some privacy, then they both exited the doors acting like they were doing nothing wrong, a few people looked at Jen a little strangely, but they either didn't care enough to ask what she was doing or figured that she had been discharged. They had almost gotten to the exit doors when the ran into the Dr. Wilkins, Spot stopped when he saw her looking at him and Jen, and he looked back. After a few moments of awkwardness the doctor nodded to Spot and turned and walked away, like nothing was wrong, even though she knew exactly what was going on and just how wrong it was. They had made their escape, they were back in the real world again, the loud, noisy world, that was so different from the quite hospital room they had just been in.

"So you ready ta sell?" Jen said as she turned to look Spot in the eyes.

"No, your goin back ta da lodging house and resting." his voice demanding.

"But I need money so I can eat."

"Don't worry about dat, I'll make sure you don't starve." They continued to walk back towards the lodging house, Spot asked her every few minutes if she was ok and she always answered him with 'I fine, stop worrying.' but he kept asking.

They got back to the lodging house and no one was there, every one was already out selling there afternoon editions.

"Where are you goin?" Jen asked as Spot lead her past the bunk room and up another flights of stairs.

"Ta a room for yah, or maybe you want ta be bombarded with questions when da boys get back." He opened a door into a small room, their was a sink and mirror on one wall and a bed pressed against the opposite one right under a huge window.

"Where dis room come from, an why ain't anyone usin it?" she was shocked, it was a nice room, you wouldn't have to share a bunk with anyone, no one using the wash room when you need to, it was perfect and it wasn't being used, she could understand it.

"Its for da leaders of Brooklyn ta use."

"So why don't you use it." Jen asked him.

"I did for about two weeks, I don't think its right ta be separate from my boys, I do use it every once in a while, but most of da time I let sick and da 'urt use it, an you fall inta one of those categories." he smirk quickly and then continued. "You need ta rest, I'll go git yah some food."

"Thanks Spo-"

"Stop thankin me for stuff you shouldn't be thankin me for, I take the credit for what I disserve it, and the credit I disserve for dis, is gittin you beat up, dats it." he said cutting her off. He walked out of the room after he was done talking so Jen wouldn't have enough time to voice her disagreements on the matter.

She took in a deep breath and walked over to the mirror and looked at herself, she had to keep back tears as she saw the bruise and the cut. She had been beaten up by Frank so many time that had probably been worse then this, but he had never done anything to her face, nothing he did was able to see in a mirror, it would have been to risky for him, so she never really had to face the scars face to face, but now she did, and it killed her. The right side of her face had turned a an ugly red-brown color, and the cut on the other side was bigger then she thought, she counted ten stitches, it was hideous. After she looked at herself for a while in the mirror she couldn't looking and more, she decide that she would go and grab a new shirt from the bunk room to replace her bloody one. She made her way down the stairs and walked into the bunk room, she go to her bed then she heard a few noises behind her so she turned around to see where they were coming for. It was Gun, he was just lifting his head off his own bunk, he had been woken up by her arrival.

"Who da, oh its you, why are you-" He stopped an his eyes widened. "What 'appened ta you?"

"Nothin, just got inta a little rut." Gun got up from his bunk a made his way to her.

"A little rut, it looks like someone was tryin ta kill yah." He said examining her face.

"Well you could say dat was what happened." Jen said quietly, as she pulled her face out of his hand and search for a new shirt under her bunk.

"So what are you doin 'ere Gun?" Jen asked trying to change the subject.

"Oh, well I gotta bum leg an sometimes it acts up, most da time I still sell but I made a good some of money yesterday so I decided ta stay 'ere an git caught up on some sleep." He answered her questioned. "So 'ow many were dere?" Jen glanced at him quickly, not liking that he wouldn't drop the subject, but she would have probably be doing the same thing so she wasn't going to get mad at him.

"Two, they were two men probably in dere late twenties."

"What a bunch of low lives, so 'ow'd yah git away?"

"Spot."

"You mean Spot was dere, an 'e let you get dis beat up?" Guns was shocked, never let nobody beat up on one of his newsies unless it was him beating them up.

"No, 'e found me gittin beat up and pulled da guys off of me."

"Now dat sounds more like Spot" she looked at him and smiled a bit.

"I'm gonna go git changed now." Gun nodded, and then Jen left the bunk room and headed back up to the room Spot was letting her use. She changed as fast as she could so that she wouldn't have to worry about Spot walking in on her, then she slipped under the covers of da bed. It was a much nicer bed then the ones in the bunk room, it was softer, warmer, comfier, she wanted to stay awake until Spot got back with her food but she couldn't fight with her eyes anymore and let them close.

**Thank you all for taking time out of your day to read this.**

**I hope you like this chapter as much as I do, because I really like it!**

**Ummm, so just to inform you I wouldn't mind getting comments, seriously just comment, please!**


	6. Drink In My Hand

**Dear my lovely readers and reviewers, **

**I am sorry if the note I wrote in the midst of my anger upset you but it was true. You are the reason I post! I know some of you told me I should write because I like to, and that is completely true, and I do write because I LOVE writing, I wont stop writing because no one is commenting, but there is no reason to post my story on here if no one is reading it, if no one likes it. It really frustrates me when I don't get any comments, it makes me want to not post a new chapter, it doesn't make me not want to write a new chapter. ****I'm sorry if it came out like that but I didn't mean I was going to stop writing (I guess I said writing when I meant posting), I will write this story until the end, well, because I want to see what happens just as much as any of you do, an I'm excited to see what I'm going to write next!**

**Sincerely Feather**

**I named this chapter after the song Drink In My Hand by The Classic Crime, I thought it showed what Spots going through in the last part of this chapter. I also named the last couple of chapters after songs that I felt went well with what was happening throughout the chapter. Feel free to look them up, they are good songs! When The Time Comes by The Classic Crime, Lies and Fear Go Hand and Hand by Everyday Sunday.**

**Disclaimer - I have no right when in comes to the characters from the movie Newsies, I would like to think I own the characters I came up with, but to tell you the truth there is no way I could stop any of you from stealing them.**

**Enjoy!**

Jen was running as fast as she could, Frank was right behind her, she couldn't hide anywhere there was no allies or doors that she could escape to, it was just a street that never seemed to end, it just went on forever.

"Jen you can't run forever, just give up and I will make your death as fast as possible." Frank yelled at her as he chased her down the street. Frank had a gun but he didn't want to use it, he wanted to have the pleasure of beating Jen one more time, just this time he would finish the job, and watch the life leave her eyes.

Jen didn't answer, she was never going to give up, she had gotten away from him before she could do it again. It felt like she had been running for hours and she was getting nowhere, nothing had changed, every step seemed to take her to the same place, and her legs were finally beginning to burn and ache, but she couldn't slow down, she could still hear Franks footsteps, they hadn't lost a step since he had saw her and began to chase her.

'_Dis doesn't make sense, dis is New York, in da middle of da day and dere's no one on dis entire street, what's goin on? Where's Spot, you think 'e would be watching me every moment of the day after what happened yesterday, this was the second time 'e hasn't been dere for me when I need 'im da most.' _Jen took a deep breath, an exhaled, pushing her thoughts out with the air. She had to concentrate on her running, she didn't want to be caught up in her thought and run in to anything or trip and fall, letting Frank have the time to catch up with her.

She was trying her hardest to keep her speed, but her legs were beginning to cramp up and she was forced to slow down, though she fought it for as long as she possibly could. When she slowed down it seemed Frank had done just the opposite, his footsteps were getting faster and louder as they drew closer to Jen.

"My offer still stands if you want ta give yourself up right now." His voice was so close and getting closer as he continued to yell after her. Jen tried as hard as she could to pick up her pace again but it was useless, no matter how much adrenaline was flowing through her veins, her body was to warn out from the running to be pushed any farther.

Jen gasped as she felt a cold hand grab and yank her back. The hand that had grabbed her was to small to be Franks, it was Spots, he had pulled her into an ally way that she had completely looked past, like it hadn't been there the first time she ran past in.

Why do yah all ways show up late?" Jen asked, out off breath from all the running. Spot smiled at her, but before he was able to respond Frank was turning down the ally and heading straight towards the two of them.

"Am I gonna 'ave ta kill your little friend 'ere, too." Franks voice was filled with a spiteful joy, like it was going to be a pleasure to be able to murder both of them. Spot just laughed at him as he pulled out his cane from his belt loop.

"Oh 'ow I'd like ta see you try." Spot said with his famous smirk on his face. He swung his cane, hitting Frank square in the face. This only made Frank angrier, so he pulled out his own weapon of choice, his gun.

"Spot run." Jen yelled at him when he didn't even flinch as Frank pulled his gun out, but all he did was turn his face to her and smirked. Jen jumped at the sound of the gun going off, Spots body fell to the ground, the bullet went in right between his eyes, taking half his face with it.n ran to him and through herself to his side, tears spilling out of her eyes and onto the brick road. "Spot." She screamed as she shook his, trying to shake life back in to him. Before she could scream again Frank grabbed her and was ripping her away from the body.

"Jen, Jen, wake up." A voice called to her, and her eyes sprung open. She was back in the little room at the Brooklyn lodging house, Spot was alive and well sitting on the edge of her bed shaking her, and Gun was standing at the door watching eagerly. Both of the boys faces were covered in worry. "You'se all right?" Spot said after he saw her eyes open.

"I am now." Jen said after a few seconds, giving her mind time to take in that what she had just experienced was all just a dream. "Yeah I'm fine." She said mostly to reassure herself that she really was. Both Spot and Gun continued to stare at her for about a minute and then Spot turned to Gun and nodded his head sending him away.

"Why were you screamin my name?" Spot said quietly, still facing the door frame.

"Just a bad dream." She said not wanting to tell him that he had died in it.

"Tell me about it." He said, this time looking at her and speaking in a more forceful tone. His eyes were cold as he looked at her, he felt like he had let her down again by not being able to wake her up earlier from the dream that was causing her to scream out in pain and terror.

Jen looked away from his stare; she didn't want to tell him, all she wanted to do was just forget it. She could feel his stare become more intense, he was studying every little thing she did. "You weren't dere at first." She paused for a moment and turned to face him, she could see that what she said had said hurt him, she couldn't go on so she brought a smile to her face and looked away again. "You know Spot, dat food you'se brought smells awfully good." He got up and grabbed the food he had placed on the bedside table and put it on her lap as she sat up. The sandwich he gave her was still a little warm, it felt so good in her stomach. Spot didn't buy himself anything so he just sat on a chair at the end of the bed staring at a painting of the Brooklyn Bridge that hung opposite him, every once in a while he would turn and look at her.

"You were dere you know. I would 'ave been killed if it weren't for you." Jen said after she had eaten her last bit of sandwich. "You kept your promise." Spot didn't say anything; he didn't even move he just kept staring at the painting. They sat there in silence, though it didn't make either one of them feel awkward, it was the kind a silence that people who have known each other for a long time have where it's all just normal, even though that had just met a few days ago.

"When I was younger, when I still lived in Ireland, my family used me." Spot said after about ten minutes of silence. "Dey used me ta um" He paused closing his eyes. "Dey made me make goils, goils dat looked like dey 'ad rich families, befriend me and dey would come with me to my house and eat with us. After we eat my father would beat dem an do things ta dem. Den when dere families put a reward out for 'elp findin dem my mother would bring dere bodies inta the police station an collect da money." His eyes were still closed, his knuckles white from being intertwined with each other, his arm shaking with the force he was using to mash his hands together. "Dats 'ow I learned ta 'ide my feelings, the truth, myself. When I became a newsie I used what I learned from my, life, ta sale. I can look at anyone an 'bout ninety percent of da time I know jist what ta say ta get dem ta buy my papes, da leader of Brooklyn den use ta say 'you know 'ow ta 'it da spot' dat why 'e called me Spot."

"You didn't 'ave ta tell me dat." She said as she played with her hands that were lying in her lap.

Spot looked away from the painting and focused on her, he didn't get her, he had just told her that he was just as bad as her step-father and those two men that attacked her. "You asked me 'ow I got my name da other day, and I thought you should know." He hated himself for the things he had done, it killed him just talking about it but she needed to know the monster he was.

"What made you become a newsie?" she asked, looking away from her hands and meeting his gaze.

"I 'ated my father, I 'ated my mother, and I 'ated myself, I couldn't do it anymore, so after I got a goil to follow me and my dad started beating on her, I ran an got da bulls, dey arrested 'im an my mother. I was on my own after dat, I snuck on to a boat that was heading to the States. When I got 'ere I started pick pocketing but I 'ated doing dat, so I became a newsie because I knew I would be able ta be good one. Deir house is still dere, it's still mine, deir money from da rewards is still inside of it, I want you ta know dat I don't 'ave ta be a newsie, I could be in Ireland an be rich, but I chose come 'ere and ta be a newsie. Dat money, in dat house, it reminds me of who I hate, it reminds me of who I was." He took in a deep breath and sighed.

"You know you're nothing like dem." Jen paused thinking about what she was going to say. "Da men who attacked me, dey were never sorry, dere was no look of regret in deir eyes, dey did it for a thrill. Spot when you attacked dat, Lyric goil, dere was purpose in your eyes. Ta be 'onest I was scared at first, I was scared dat you were gonna end up bein like Frank, but you ain't, you were protecting something unlike Frank who jist need ta hit something."

They both sat there for a while, neither one looking at each other, just staring off into nowhere, thinking about what had been said. Time seemed to be endless, it was only three and they had gotten back from the hospital around one thirty. At one point Jen was staring at the clock that hung on the wall across from the bed, the pendulum swung below, each swipe across the wall seemed to take longer as if time was slowing right before her eyes.

***FLASH BACK***

"You know when you get older time will start to go faster, so be glad you're young and have more time, so to say, to spend doing anything you want, your children, make the most of the time you have now, so that you won't feel like you've missed out when your old like me." Auntie Caroline said in a thick British accent. She was folding her linens, which she had just washed, on her bed, Luke and Jen were sitting at the top of her bed watching. They had been complaining about it being a rainy day and it seeming, to them, that the day was going to last forever, and that's what got her onto a big life lesson. She did that a lot, she always had something to say about everything little thing, when they complained about being hungry she told them stories about not food for days when she was a child, and when they complained about it being too cold out she told them about the time she was caught in a snow storm with no shoes on. Some of the stories she told were so out there it was obvious that she was making them up but Luke and Jen were so young that they believed ever word she said.

"There are so many things that I wish I would have done when I was your age, like dance in the rain or jump in puddles." She continued. Both of the children's faces lit up, and they jumped off the bed and ran to Auntie Caroline's side.

"Let's go dance in da rain." Jen said, gently tugging on her skirt.

"Yeah, let's go jump in da puddles." Luke said pulling on the other side of her skirt. She looked away from the folding and to the children at either side of her, their face were so precious, she couldn't say no to them.

"Go get your coats." She shook her head as she grabbed her own coat on the way out of her room and met the kids at the front door.

After a few minutes they were all together around the door, each one with their rain coats and hoods fully on. Auntie Caroline opened the door for them all, letting the two children exit before her. The air that greeted them was wet, hot, and sticky like it always was during the summer, the rain didn't change that. When they got out from the cover of the roof the cool, moist, little droplets of rain finally reached them. They gave them somewhat of a relief from the muggy air, but not much. They stood there hand in hand at the top of the stairs just letting the rain fall on their faces. After a few minutes of that Jen began to tug on Auntie Caroline's skirt one again so she bent do to Jen's level and asked her what was wrong.

"Nothin, but I thought we'se were gonna dance in da rain not jist stand around in it." This made her laugh. They all started down the stairs still hand in hand.

" 'ow are we supposed ta dance with no music?" Luke asked when they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"There was an old woman tossed up in a basket  
Seventeen times as high as the moon  
Where she was going I could not but ask it,  
For in her hand she carried a broom  
'Old woman, old woman, old woman' quoth I  
'Oh wither, oh wither, oh wither so high?'  
'To sweep the cobwebs from the sky, but I'll be with you by and by.' " She started to sing louder and louder. The two children looked at her and smiled, and then tugged on her hand pulling her into the middle of the street. They began to dance in a circle as she sang.

The soft mist from a few minutes before turned into pouring rain, which cleared the streets of any people who had been walking about. At first they had a little group of people watching but they all left when it really started raining, there were a few people still watching them from their windows though, but they didn't care they were having too much fun to care. After a few minutes of dancing they were completely drenched to the point that it was even useless to be wearing a rain coat. When Luke finally decided the puddles were big enough, he rain over to one, closely followed be Auntie Caroline and Jen, and leaped into it causing an enormous splash with drops of water flying well above his head. The water was just above Luke's ankles, which none of them were expecting, but the depth of the puddle didn't stop Jen or Auntie Caroline from jumping in right after him. They all started laughing so hard their sides were starting to hurt.

***NOW***

'Why didn't I go ta Auntie Caroline's? She would 'ave took me in, why didn't I think of her. If I went to her I wouldn't 'ave ta work, I wouldn't be 'ungry all da time. I wouldn't have dis scar.' Jen sighed, her thoughts were making her feel sorry for herself. 'quit dat, if I would 'ave gone to Auntie Caroline's I would 'ave ta wear dresses and skirts, I wouldn't know Chaos, Tweet, or Shadow.' She paused her thoughts for a moment. 'I would 'ave never met Spot.' She smiled quickly and then just as quickly hid it deep inside of her. Even though he annoyed her with his all knowingness, and that smirk of his, whenever she wanted to be upset with him, he always pulled his smirk out and she just couldn't stay angry, and the fact that he changes every day, she still couldn't imagine not knowing him. She felt like they have been friends for years, yet it was only a few days before that she had met him.

"Spot." Jen said breaking the silence.

"Yeah, what do yah need?" She let out a small laugh, Spots voice was completely different then she had ever heard it before, he was willing, almost pleading to do something for her.

"Nothing, I'm jist gonna go ta sleep now, so you could leave if yah wanted ta." She smiled at him reassuring him that she was ok.

"I'll be back wit some food for dinner." He said as he got up and walked out of the room.

Spot walked the down the stairs not really wanting to leave her but knew she was going to be fine, and he need to go sell a few papers if he was going to be paying for Jen dinner as well. He stopped outside the bunk room, Gun was standing at the window just looking out into the world. Spot walked up next to him, an looked with him for a few minutes.

"She gonna be alright?" Gun asked, Spot could hear the concern in his voice.

"Yeah, she'll be fine, I made sure she was before I took her from the hospital." Spot said not taking his eyes of the scene outside the window, and then he face turned to Gun. "Why are you 'ere?"

"My legs acting up, an I made a good profit yesterday." Spot didn't say anything else to him and walked away. He stop by his bunk a grabbed a quarter out from a small tin can he kept under his bunk. He needed to have a cigar, he would've went out and bought one right then but people didn't tend to buy papers from a kid who were smoking, so he was just going to have to wait until later.

Spot only bought twenty papers, which was a far cry from his normal hundred, but the afternoon addition had already been out for a couple of hours, and his head wasn't in it today. He didn't go to his normal spot either; it would've taken too much time and he didn't have much to spare, so he stayed close to the main streets. It took Spot an hour to sell his papers, longer than usual but it wasn't much longer. After he sold his last paper he headed to the cigar store. Spot wasn't much of a smoker but every once and a while when he need something to clam himself down he got some. When he smoked he was picky, that was part of the reason he didn't do it all the time, he hated cigarettes and cheep cigars, so he always got a five pack of Havana cigars even thought they cost a quarter, to him they were worth it. After he got his cigars he went and picked up some food for himself and Jen.

When he got back to the lodging house he went straight up to the room Jen was in. She was still sleeping when he opened the door, so as quietly as he could he placed the food he had gotten for her on the small wooden table next to her bed. He went back down to the bunk room, not many of the boys were back yet, most of them were either selling or make the most of the last bit of warmth by swimming at the docks. He swiftly made his way across the room and out the window onto the fire escape. He was itching to start on his cigars. The truck up the stairs seemed longer than it normally did, so before he was even to the roof he pulled out his lighter and a cigar and lit his first one of the night but it wasn't going to be his last.

"Where's Spot." Shadow commanded the information from Gun. He knew he must have seen where ever Spot had gone since he had been hanging around the lodging house all day.

"Da roof, and 'e's got a pack of cigars wit 'im. 'e's 'ad a 'ard day." Shadow took in a deep breath knowing something had to be really upsetting him.

"What 'appened?"

"Jen almost got 'erself killed."

Shadow mumbled a swear world under his breath as he walked over to the window and up the fire escape. Spot was standing near the edge leaning his back against the door that lead up to roof from the inside, he let out puffs of smoke about every five seconds.

"Spot." He looked over at Shadow with a blank stare.

"What do yah want?" He growled at him, he didn't want to talk to anyone, he just wanted smoke his cigars and look out onto his city.

"Tell me about today." Shadows voice was calm as he walked slowly over to Spot and joined him on the door, both hands in his pocket, one searching for a cigarette, the other for his lighter. When he finally found both he put the cigarette in his mouth and lit it.

"Dat smells like da sewer." Spot yelled as he grabbed the cigarette out of Shadows mouth and stomped it out on the ground. "Take dis." Spot shoved one of his cigars in Shadows mouth, and lit it for him.

"You'se spoiled yah know." Shadow said as he let out a laugh, and then got back to his question. "So, what 'appened?"

"What do yah mean 'what 'appened'?" Spot looked away from him and let out another puff of smoke.

"You know exactly what I mean. What's got you all worked up that you need to smoke up on da roof all by yourself?"

"It ain't none of your business."

"If it affects you, den it affects Brooklyn in which that case it affects me. Spot you can tell me about it I'm your second in command, you can tell me anything." Shadow said as he walked in front of Spot, and grabbed his shoulders to make sure he was listening.

"Spot, Shadow." A voice said from the fire escape, cutting Spot off before he could respond to Shadow.

Jack and Race were stand at the top of the fire escape, Shadow took his hands off Spot and started walking towards the two Manhattan newsies as they did the same. Spot just stood there not moving a muscle.

"Heya Jack, Race, what yah doin in Brooklyn dis late in da day?" Jack and Race came to Brooklyn once or twice a month, so it wasn't unusual for them to be there, but it was close to ten o'clock and they only came this late if there was something urgent going on.

"We need ta talk ta you'se and Spot." Jacks voice was strong, he looked pretty much the same but Shadow could tell something was disturbing him and Race.

"Jist ta warn yah Spots not in da best mood tonight." Shadow spoke quietly as he turned and lead them to Spot.

"Well it ain't gonna git any better." Race muttered under his breath.

**Thanks for reading I hope you liked it.**

**Please review, and tell me your thoughts, good or bad!**

**Next chapter should be up in the beginning of November.**


	7. Dustbowl Dance

**OK super sorry about the length, I've had to write eight essays this past month so I didn't get to write much fanfic. I know thats really lame and I feel really bad that I didn't write. I was tempted not to post this month but i thought something is better then nothing. **

**So heres my supper short chapter, its name comes from the song Dustbowl Dance by Mumford & Sons, one of my favorite song by the, go check it out!**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer - I don't own Newsies, well I do own a DVD and VHS version of Newsies but I do not have rights to any of the footage, script, or characters in the movie.**

The two Manhattaners got closer, Shadow leading them. All three of their faces were emotionless as they stared at the King of Brooklyn as close to broken as they had ever seen him. Spot inhaled the smoke, enjoying each moment it lingered in his lungs less and less. When he first started hours ago, when he was all alone, the nicotine worked like a charm to get his mind off of what he had let happen to Jen, and keep his mind off of the memories it stirred up from his former life he thought he had gotten over long ago. He just wanted to be alone so he could stop thinking and just turn his mind off, but no one seemed to understand that, first Shadow and now Jack and Race.

"Why can't anyone leave me alone?" Spot mumbled to himself. "What are you doing 'ere?" he growled at the Manhattan leader and his second in command.

"It ain't Manhattan dey're goin afta, Spot." Jacks voice was as emotionless as his stared.

"Yeah, Jacky boy, yeah, what gave yah dat idea?" Spot made his way to Jack and got right in his face as he spoke. He already knew that it the Bronx and Queens didn't care about Manhattan, Lyric gave that away the other day when Spot had seen her in Brooklyn, but he wanted to know what tipped Manhattan off.

"Dex." Race said strongly.

Dex was a Manhattan newsie, she had been with Manhattan for about six years, but for the last three she's been working the Bronx. She was a bird in ways, but a bird that was working every minute of every day. She lived with the Bronx newsies, sold with them, ate with them, if you didn't know she was Manhattan you could have never guessed. Dex was perfect for the job Jack had given her, she was a bird already and only a few people knew who she was, so she was able to sneak in without anyone noticing, and she has been making her way up the ladder ever since, she is one of Thunders most trusted newsies now.

"Why are dey doin dis Dex." Jack shouted at the tall girl leaning against the side of his bunk, her wavy auburn hair was pulled into a low ponytail as she rung her hat in her hands. "Why didn't you tell us dat da Bronx and Queens was comin afta us?" Jack was frustrated; Dex was supposed to inform him when this kind of thing was going on. _'Has she betrayed us for da Bronx?'_ he questioned himself. _'Did I pick da wrong person for dis job.'_ He sighed mentally. _'Dere's gotta be an explanation, she's been good for three years, she's gotta 'ave a reason or she wouldn't 'ere.'_

"It's not us dey want." Dex said calmly. Jack just stared at her, it made since, he and Race had talked about it but they didn't want to jump to conclusions, but mostly they didn't think anyone would be stupid enough to go after Brooklyn.

"Brooklyn?" she didn't say anything, but the look on her face confirmed his beliefs.

"Why, no what makes dem think dey will eva beat Brooklyn?"

"I wouldn't be too sure dat dey won't beat um, Bronx and Queens 'as got plans, plans dey won't even tell me about. All I know is dat they've been out at night an comin 'ome wit stuff lots of stuff dey didn't leave da lodging 'ouse wit."

"What kinda thins, Dex?" Jack asked through his teeth.

"I'm not sure, dey doin a good job at 'iding da stuff. I've gotta go now Cowboy, but if I find any new information you'll be da first ta know." With that Dex put her cap on and walked out of the Manhattan lodging house leaving Jack alone to think.

"What she got ta say?" Spot said coldly.

"She says she don't know if Brooklyn is gonna win dis thin." Spots eyes flashed Jack a glare of anger, as he let out another puff of cigar smoke.

"She knows Brooklyn can take anythin dats thrown our way." Spot was getting defensive, he was Brooklyn, and when anyone questioned Brooklyn's strength they were questioning Spots strength.

"She's saying dey've got plans, an dey're getting real prepared for dis." It was quiet for a while, every second that passed Spot was getting even more livid then he already was.

"What do you'se think, Francis Sullivan, you'se think Brooklyn can't 'andle ourselves?" Spot only used Jacks real name when he was pissed, and oh was he pissed.

"Spot-" Spots fist interrupted Jack from finished his sentence. He punched him in the gut causing him to fold in half, but that was only his first assault, he then smashed his foot into jacks knee and other fist into his face. Spot wasn't attacking Jack he was attacking everything that was making him angry, Jack just happened to be the poor guy that Spot had unleashed his wrath upon.

Shadow and Race leaped into action as soon as they comprehended what was happening. Both boys tugged on Spot, trying the best they could to tear him off of Jack, who was using all his strength to push him off. They were no use, all the pulling, pushing, and tugging was just making Spot more livid. Racetrack finally just gave up and punch him as hard he could on the right side of his face making him turn his attention from Jack, to him.

"Spot." Race paused, taking time to collecting himself. "Were your friends, we're jist tellin yah what we'se heard, not what we think. Don't get mad at us because we brought bad news on a bad day, it ain't our fault."

Spot socked Race in the stomach and then walk away, throwing his cigar to the ground. He knew Race was right but it was like bad news on top of bed news today and he couldn't handle it any more. He just wanted to be left alone, but obviously everyone decided that he didn't have that right today. He could hear the three newsies talking as he made his way down the fire escape. He passed the room Jen was in and the bunk room, he didn't want to be with anyone so he just kept walking down the steps until his feet met the pavement. Spot stopped for a second at the bottom to pull out another cigar and lit it. It was his last one and he wasn't going to waste it. He began to walk again, he didn't really care where he was going, only that he went somewhere where no one would be, a place where he could just stop and think.

**I hoped you enjoyed this chapter!**

**Please Review!**

**Comments are very helpful to me, and well just love getting them. So yeah, COMMENT! **


	8. Tossed 'im like a marble did yah?

**Read and Review!**

**Tell me what you loved, tell me what you hated, give me some constructive criticism.**

**Thanks to all 18 of you who have commented, can't wait to read more, so write me more reviews so I can enjoy them! =]**

**Hope this chapter is up to your likings.**

He walked down the alley, the only sound that echoed off the walls were his lonely footsteps as they made their way across the empty streets of Brooklyn. He found his way to the docks, and climbed to his throne. He sat there for several minutes, listening to the rain drops that began to fall from the sky and softly greet the ground. Spot took in the last bit of peace that he could grasp from his cigar, and then threw it to the ground. The sound of the cigar sloshing into a small puddle was followed by the sound of his feet entering that same small puddle. Spot let the last bit of smoke that remained in his lungs escape as he started his walk to the bridge. The air was getting colder and the water beneath the Brooklyn Bridge was rippling softly as the rain began to increase. Spot looked over railing down to the water, it was so calming, quite, yet Spots mind wouldn't stop racing.

"So what's da King of Brooklyn doin out 'ere all by 'imself? Dere's always a goil on your arm so why not tonight?" Spot twisted around leaving his perch over the water. Scarlet had a half of a smirk painted on her lips as she leaned her back against the railing, opposite Spot.

"You know the goils are jist for show, and if dere's no audience what's da point of a show?" Spot smirked as Scarlet smiled and shook her head at him. Spot lost his smirk quickly, remembering that he was angry with the world.

"What's da mattah wit you'se?" Scarlet blurted out when she saw the change of expression on Spots face. Spot and her had a good relationship, sort of like siblings.

"I'se 'ad one 'ell of a day ta say da least." Spot muttered as he stared at the sky, gracing each rain drop that struck his face with a squint of his icy eyes.

"Well dat says a lot, don't it?" She said sarcastically to herself. She would have believed Spot was drunk if his words would have been slurred, because he was acting stranger than Scarlet had ever seen him even when he had been drunk to the point of not being able to walk home on his own. He always seemed to have a spark to him but it seemed as the rain came down it was slowly diming that spark.

"So what's you'se doin 'ere anyways?" Spot question partly because he actually wanted to know, but mostly because he wanted to get his mind of the events of earlier that day.

"Couldn't sleep, so I'se was comin ta see if dere was a pokah game goin on ovah 'ere, Race and Jack came over 'ere earlier so nobodies wants ta play in Manhattan, or nobodies has da guts ta be beat by a goil."

"You'se came all dis way ta play a few games of pokah dat yah don't even know if dere going on?" Spot shook his head at her as he called her bluff. "So what's da real reason you'se are 'ere?"

"Well, Jen's da only goil ovah 'ere an ta tell you'se da truth she's gotta be bored outah 'er mind 'cause dere ain't to many 'andsome men on dis side of da rivah ta take up 'er time." Her face scrunched into an awkward smile after she spoke her thoughts faster than most people could move their lips, although she did mumble the last half of the sentence to make it almost incomprehensible.

Spots face turned to stone as he tensed up. The mention of Jens name made him want to turn around a punch the railing he was leaning against until he could no longer feel his hands, but he fought his emotions and just stood there tensely staring at Scarlet like she had just said the worse thing, which wouldn't be that far off at the moment. Scarlet lost her smile as she moved back and forth on her feet, trying to get out from underneath Spots glare. She didn't know what she had done to deserve this harsh punishment, but she knew that it wasn't all her fault, sure the part about handsome men could have been left out of her previous sentence but that wasn't what made Spots whole demeanor change.

"I think she'd like ta see you'se." Spot said after staring at Scarlet for five long minutes.

He finally moved, taking his cold glare off of Scarlet and placed it in the direction of the Brooklyn lodging house.

"She might be sleepin when we get dere but I'll let you'se stay da night ta night, well I'll let you'se even if she's awake." His invitation to stay was more like a command, but Scarlet didn't mind, she wasn't planning on leaving tonight anyways. "She's 'urt, pretty bad." Spot spoke again adding to the rain drops. Scarlet took her eyes off the ground and let them land on Spot emotionless face.

"What do you'se mean, pretty bad, what 'appened?" Her words echoed through the empty street as her voice rose out of shock and fear.

"Stuff 'appened, she got stitches, she's gonna be fine." Spot took a deep breath. "She'll be fine." He muttered mostly to himself.

"So dats what's wrong wit you'se." Scarlet whispered under her breath so Spot couldn't hear her through the now pouring rain.

The rest of walk went by in silence as both Spot and Scarlet listened to the rain splashing it to puddles as it hit the cobble stone road. Neither of them had anything to say that wouldn't just end up sounding like an awkward question that they had come up with to try and fill the empty space. The silence ended as they neared the lodging house. There was awe filled shouts and howls flowing out of the bunk room window, which made Spot step his speed up slightly, with Scarlet right behind. They quickly pushed through the front door and were greet with a room, which was almost always full of newsies, empty. Spot raced up the stairs towards the loud noises bursting out of the bunk room. When he reached the door he saw every single one of his newsies gathered around the bunk closes to the window and Jen in the middle of the circle sitting on her bunk. Each newsies had their eyes glued to her as she toll a very exciting story he presumed by the way she had all of their unadulterated attention and the way she was throwing her arms in the air as she spoke.

"…..an 'e plucked da man off of me an tossed 'im ovah 'is shoulder as if 'e was as light as a small marble, an den Spot jumped on 'im so fast 'e couldn't even catch 'is breath before 'e was bein soaked by da King of Brooklyn 'imself…." Her story of the events that had happened earlier made Spots hard face soften and a smirk appear on it.

"So what's da real story, how'd it really go?" Scarlet whispered into Spots ear.

"Pretty much like dat."

"Tossed 'im like a marble did yah." She said sarcastically.

Spot just responded by flexing his arms, inches in front of her face. She quickly slapped them back down to his sides and scooted passed him, making her way to the large crowd of Brooklyn newsies. She went to sit down next to Tweet on his bed but he swiftly put up a fuss about her being wet. He took a few seconds to search under his bunk and then threw a dry pair of pants and a shirt at her, when she had caught everything he threw at her he pointed towards the washroom with a twisted expression painted on his face.

"Yeah, yeah. Dats enough of da stories for ta night." Spot interrupted as Jen was just about to finish the part of the story when they had almost been caught sneaking out of the hospital. A loud cry of protest rose from the crowd of boys surrounding Jen after Spot spoke his command, but it quickly faded as they looked up at him and saw his face glaring at each and every one of them. The boys all got up; some of them went to their bunks but most headed down the stairs, most likely to start up a game or two of poker in the front room. Scarlet made her way back through the crowd and into the bunk room. She made her way towards Jen, who quickly got up meeting her in the middle with a hug. Jen was too caught up in her story to have noticed her the first time she entered the room.

"'ey what are you'se doin 'ere." Jen said as they both pulled away from the hug.

*BRONX P.O.V.*

"Dex" A harsh voice called out as she walked through the front door of the Bronx lodging house. Dex instantly recognized the voice and turned her attention towards a boy about seventeen sitting on a beat up chair across the room from the entrance. His light hair was being tasseled by a girl around sixteen who was sitting on the arm of his chair.

"Thunder, Swinger." Dex nodded her head to both of them as she stopped a few feet from where the both of them were sitting.

"Where were you?" Thunder was about to say something just before Swinger cut him off with her words. Although Thunder was known as the leader of the Bronx, Swinger was really the one pulling the strings behind the scene.

"I was taken care of a few things." She replied coldly. Dex wasn't too fond of the way Thunder was just letting Swinger take his job, she believed that it's a man's job to lead and by letting Swinger take that away from him, he was weak and not cut out for the job. She didn't understand why Warden had named Thunder the leader when he left and not Hush who would have been a much stronger leader for the Bronx.

"Thunder could I'se talk ta you'se." Dex said as she lifted her critical eyes off of Swinger as she was beginning to whisper things into Thunders ears, and to the overrated leader of the Bronx.

Thunders eyes wandered from Swingers beautiful blond hair to Dex as she stared at him harshly. Quickly after seeing her face, he answered her question with a slight nod. Dex stood there as he softly shoved Swinger away, the pain of this action was clear on his face, it was obvious all he cared about was her and all she wanted was his power and she didn't have to do all that much to get it. Thunder stood and began to lead Dex through the front room of the lodging house and into a small empty room in which most of the private meetings were held.

"So." Thunder spoke while he pulled the only object, a stool, to the center of the room and sat down.

"What's goin on?" Her voice came out hash and threw a kink in Thunders slightly joyful mood.

His eyes narrowed in on her, like she was crazy. "What's do you'se mean?" Dex knew that he knew exactly what she was talking about but decided to play along.

"Da midnight trips ta what seems like random places, bringin back boxes, big boxes dat no one eva knows what happens ta. Why are you'se keepin it all hidden, and from all people, me, what haven't you'se been tellin me and why?" She pushed her voice into him like a train, she needed answer not only for her own peace of mind but for Manhattan's and Brooklyn's as well.

A smile appeared on Thunders face, he was grinning as if he were a giddy little boy. This had to be big; this had to be something far beyond what she had been imagining. Thunder slowly stood up and walked over to her, his grin growing as he came closer. He was standing shoulder to shoulder with her when he finally stopped; leaning into her ear he spoke three words each one made her heart sink farther into her chest.

**So there's my 8th chapter...Wow, weird, I'm already on my 8th chapter, thats CRAZY! Well at least for me.**

**So I hope that you have liked it...Oh yeah, I decided that I'm going to start writing shorter chapters so I can update in a more timely manner, one at least quicker then I have been.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Thanks, have a great rest of your night or day, whatever applies to you at this very moment. **


	9. Why Does Dis Change Everything?

**Read and Review!**

**Tell me what you loved, tell me what you hated, give me some constructive criticism.**

**Thanks to all 20 of you who have commented, can't wait to read more, so write me more reviews so I can enjoy them!**

**Hope this chapter is up to your likings.**

*Brooklyn P.O.V.*

A couple of days had gone by since Scarlet first arrived in Brooklyn. Jen was enjoying having another girl around; though nothing really changed in the way things worked at the lodging house, it was good for her to spend some time with Scarlet. She had been using Jens bunk, seeing as it was free with Jen sleeping in the little room on the upper floor. Both Spot and Scarlet told everyone that Scarlet was staying in Brooklyn so she could clear her mind, or some bogus story like that, but Jen knew she was staying for her, mostly because she had overheard Spot asking her to stay and keep Jen company, and that's what was happening.

Today was the first day Spot was letting Jen leave the lodging house and get back to selling. The past three days had been slowest and yet still fun days for Jen in the almost two weeks she had been a newsie. The first day after Jen was attracted she slept until noonish when Scarlet came back with her lunch which had been another roast beef sandwich, Jen had figured that it was the most common lunch for a newsie, because out of the time she had been in Brooklyn she had seen many newsies and even eaten several herself. After they ate Scarlet stayed with her at the lodging house, they talked for a while until Jen had the great idea of exploring the upper levels of the lodging house, which turned out to be more thrilling than either of them had expected. The days following went about the same although instead of sleeping until lunch, Jen had been filling up her time with cleaning, which made the time go by faster as she waited for Scarlet to arrive with lunch.

"So, you'se ready for taday?" Spot spoke as he opened the door to Jens private room and let himself in. Jen quickly turned from the mirror she had been frowning into for the last five minutes, and smiled at him.

"Yeah." She to in a quick breath, she was excited to get out of the lodging house but there was still a piece of her that wouldn't mind staying there in that building for the rest of her life so she wouldn't ever have to face her fears.

"You'se sure?" He looked at her as if he was looking into her, searching for a truthful answer.

"Yes, I'se as sure as sure can be, besides nothins gonna 'appen with you'se and Scarlet watchin me like a 'awk watches its prey." Spot smiled at her remark, it was so true that he wasn't planning on taking his eyes off her until they were back in the lodging house at the end of the day.

Today, as well as being Jens first day back to selling, it was also going to be the last day Scarlet was going to spend in Brooklyn. She had told Jen, the night before that she would be heading straight to Manhattan after they eat lunch. Jen shook her head, making the thoughts of her only female friend leaving flee from her mind, she just wanted the day to start with good things a not sad thoughts.

Jen quickly finished her last task of pulling her suspenders up and over her shoulders and then followed Spot down the stairs, and made their way into the crowd of boy fighting their way down the last flight of stairs and out into the fresh air of the morning.

"Glad ta see you'se back, Jen." Tweet commented as Jen and Spot met him, Shadow, and Scarlet at the front of the crowd.

"Glad ta be back." She replied, sending the group a smile.

The day went by like every other day had gone before the incidence in the alley, other than Scarlet selling with Jen and Spot but she left after lunch just like she said she would. After their quick goodbyes they got right back to selling, which was a good thing for Jen since she hadn't sold as many papers as she was hoping.

"I would like to buy a paper miss." Jen heard a young women's voice speak behind her after she had call out one of her improved headlines. Jen turned around bringing the paper she had been waving in the air down to a place that the women could reach, but the women didn't grab for the paper, she was too busy examining Jens face.

" 'eres you'se pape lady." Jen said pushing the paper closer to the women, and yet she still didn't take it. "Is dere somethin wrong?" Jen was getting tired of people not buying papers from her because of her injuries, it had probably happen five or so time earlier that day and she couldn't take it anymore.

"No no, it's just that I-I no longer w-w-want a paper." The women stumbled on her words as she spit them out.

"You'se know I'se 'ave to earn money, money so I'se can eat an live. But go on, go buy the same pape from that newsie at da end of da street like all da other people have done after lookin at me." Jen said letting out her frustration. The young women stopped in the middle of her turn and faced Jen once again.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was filled with shame as she spoke. She quickly took the paper out of Jens hand and replaced it with a penny, and then she turned and walk away. Jen smile at her success but she was still frustrated that she had to get mean with people just so she could sell a paper. The rest of the day continued the same half the people bought a paper without a fuss but the other half were just like that young women, so Jen would give her little sermon and that would get them to buy her papers. By the end of the day she had sold all but two papers.

"Why does dis change everythin?" Jen stepped in front of Spot making him stop, she was pointing to her face, to her scar and to her bruise. They were almost to the lodging house and neither of them had said anything the whole walk home.

"It doesn't." Spot expression and his voice were cold and flat. He knew today was going to be hard on her and he had been preparing himself for a question like this all day.

"Yeah, yeah, you didn't see the people's faces as dey noticed." Jens voice was just as cold but he could hear all her sadness pouring out, mixing in with her words.

"Your just gonna 'ave ta get over it an I'se can't help you'se wit dat." Spot push her aside and walked the rest of the way to the lodging house, leaving her standing there alone in frustration.

When Spot closed the door behind him and waited close enough to the door so that if to long went by before Jen walked in he could sprint outside, but not to close that if Jen walked in it wouldn't look like he was waiting for her. It only took a few seconds before the door flew open and Jen stomped in and Spot was able to release the breath he was keeping hostage. Spot stayed where he was as he watched Jen storm past him and towards Chaos, Tweet, and a few other boys who were playing a game of poker. As she sat down the previous game was just wrapping up and she only had to wait a few moments to join in. Jen could feel Spots icy eyes drilling into her, after a few minutes of hope the feeling of being watched would go away she quickly whipped her head around so she could look Spot in the eyes. Her glare was harsh; all of her anger and sadness was forcing its way through the room, strait for Spot. But his face was painted with a smirk which frustrated Jen all the more, making her give up on her stare down and turn back to her game.

Five minutes went by of Spot watching Jen, and Jen trying to shrug it off, when the doors of the lodging house flew open, drawing all the boys attention away from what they had been doing and to the abrupt entrance. Jack Kelley stood in the doorway with a mob of about twenty Manhattan newsies littering the street behind.

"It's gonna 'appen." Jacks voice boomed as he found Spot in the crowded room. "Now."

**Thank you all for reading this chapter! **

**Ok, question, would you rather have shorter chapters that are post more regularly or longer chapters with more time in-between?**

**REVIEW PLEASE!**


	10. The Oncoming Storm

**Read and Review!**

**Tell me what you loved, tell me what you hated, give me some constructive criticism.**

**Thanks to all of you who have commented, can't wait to read more, so write me more reviews so I can enjoy them!**

**Hope this chapter is up to your likings.**

*MANHATTAN POV*

"It's da first time I'se could away, I'se swear." Dex's voice burst out as she heaved for breath. She had ran the whole way from the Bronx lodging house to Manhattans, her sides, her lungs, her stomach, her everything hurt, she had made an hour walk into thirty minute run and she was finally feeling the pain that came with it.

"What?" Jacks was shocked by her voice, it had been loud and filled with fear along with other emotions he had never heard in Dex's voice before.

"No t-time." She stopped for a deep breath. "We need ta get ta Brooklyn, now."

"No, first you'se are gonna tell me what's goin on, right now." His voice demanding, he had an idea of what was going to happen but he needed to know for sure before he was going to just run out the door.

Dex stared into Jacks eyes, she didn't have time for this, they didn't time for this but she could see that Jack was going to go with her until she explained, so she took a deep breath and began. "Da war, it's 'appenin. After I came 'ere I'se asked Thunder what was 'appenin, an 'e told me." She reached around herself and untucked the right side of her shirt, displaying a hard object that had been pushed into the waistband of her pants along with her shirt. It was a revolver. Jacks eyes almost burst out of their sockets at the sight of the hand gun, he knew Dex had told him that they were planning something big but he didn't think that Thunder would stoop so low, play so dirty. " 'e gave dis ta me taday. I'se 'ad ta wait 'til 'e showed me where da guns were before I could leave, I'se needed to bring a few wit me so dat dey wouldn't 'ave a 'uge upper 'and. Dis wars gonna start tomorrow night, so can we'se get ta Brooklyn now."

The front room of the Manhattan lodging house was completely silent, waiting for the next words to be spoken, waiting for their leader to give his orders. They didn't have to wait long. Jack instantly called out the names of the thirty best fighters in the lodging house, each one standing at the sound of their names like solider. When Jack stopped shouting names out the sound of rustling took the place of his voice. The rustling of boys finding stray bats and slingshots, the sound of guns being passed out and shoved into their waistbands and belt loops, and then in slowed to a stop as the boys that had been chosen stood at the door, a small army, thirty ragged boys, stood behind their leader, ready to fight.

*BROOKLYN POV*

The doors of the lodging house flew open, drawing all the boys attention away from what they had been doing and to the abrupt entrance. Jack Kelly stood in the doorway with a mob of about twenty or thirty Manhattan newsies littering the street behind him.

"It's gonna 'appen." Jacks voice boomed as he found Spot in the crowded room. "Now."

Spots eyes raced through the crowd. He found Kid Blink, Racetrack, Mush, Scarlet, along with many others, but it surprised him the most to see Dex standing side by side with Jack. She meant that this was really happening, she meant the storm was coming. His eyes slowly focused on Jack. He gradually turned his head around to the stair and then looked back at Jack. Spot turn his whole body away from the part of the wall he had pinning down with his side and made his way to the stairs, Jack understood what Spot had said in his silence and quickly followed, dragging Dex by the collar behind him. When Spot reached the first step he shot a look back at the cluster of Manhattan newsies immigrating in with his own.

"You'se talk ta dem about any of dis and I'se will kill you'se myself, I'se talk ta me boys about da important stuff." There were no smug comments or sarcastic jokes coming from any of their mouths. The boys just nodded as the felt Spot icy words and harsh glare burrow into each of them.

Spot led Jack and Dex into a large empty room where they could talk. Once the door was closed Jack with the help Dex told Spot the story of what this oncoming storm was holding in its dark clouds. Twenty minutes went by before the door opened and the three newsies left the room to its emptiness once again. At the sound of the stairs creaking, the front room fell silent and all eyes turned toward the stairs that were slowly reveling more and more of the returning three. Spot stopped on the last step, Jack and Dex halted behind him.

"Boys." Spot stopped to look at the faces of his newsies as well as Jacks. "Tomorrow we fight, for the kids sitting next to you, for respect, for Brooklyn." By the end of his short sentence he was yelling into the crowd of news boys. When his last word broke though his mouth every newsie in the room jumped to their feet and began to cheer, Spot had a huge smirk on his face as he took in the energy of the boys. This was Brooklyn in a nutshell; these boys were loyal, tough, brave, and most the important aspect, their willingness to sacrifice themselves for Brooklyn.

The boys quickly got back to what they were doing, whispering about what Spot had said as they went. The Manhattaners told the other newsies more in-depth stories about the war that was drawing near, giving them details such as the guns and other things Dex had informed them of on the walk over. Scarlet, Racetrack and Mush had joined in on the poker game that had started earlier that evening; Race quickly got thrown in the position of dealer which he didn't mind. Jens frustration had fade now that her mind was filled with thoughts of war and the happy-go-lucky Manhattan newsies didn't hurt either.

An hour past before Spot commanded everyone to their bunks, he knew they would need their strength for the battle tomorrow. Everyone quickly scattered to the bunk room, Jack and his boys shoved their way into empty bunks, some just crawled into already occupied ones, but no one really minded. Jen convinced Scarlet to sleep in the room upstairs that Spot was still forcing Jen to sleep in. The night went by quickly, but when the morning came time started moving slower, every newsies selling in Brooklyn all felt like years had gone by before lunch came and the afternoon edition was released. Not too many newsies had decided to sell in the afternoon so the lodging house and the docks were crowded with anxious boy just trying to past time before what they were all waiting for. The sun was finally fading, the newsies were heading back to the lodging house as quickly as they could if they were not already there. Now all that was left to do was what they had been doing all day, more waiting.

**Thanks For reading! **

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**I'm hoping my next chapter will be up shortly.**

**p.s. My next chapter is the first of the war chapters! I hope you're as excited for it as I am!**


	11. Frontline

**Read and Review!**

**Tell me what you loved, tell me what you hated, give me some constructive criticism.**

**Thanks to all of you who have commented, can't wait to read more, so write me more reviews so I can enjoy them!**

**Hope this chapter is up to your likings.**

They were awoken from their state of mindless waiting by the sound of pounding on the doors downstairs, windows being broken, and yelling from the streets below. It was only a matter of seconds before every boy in the Brooklyn lodging house was up and armed with the few guns they had, slingshots, bat, and anything and everything else they could pick up and use as a weapon. The war had begun. It was two a.m. and the streets outside the lodging house were littered with angry kids. They were of every age from five to nineteen. This was the exact moment they were all waiting for. The adrenalin was pumping through Jens veins as she scooped up her slingshot off the ground next to where she had been sitting. Mixed in with her adrenalin was fear, the last time she had really fought someone was it was Frank, a grown man, not 12 year old kids. But fighting these kids wasn't her biggest fear, that potion went to the guns that were mixed in with the kids that were fighting on her side and the other. Guns were meant to kill not fight; guns had killed her only family she had ever had.

She rushed out the front doors with the other boys that had not escaped out the windows onto the fire escape. A boy about thirteen grabbed her on her way out, socking her in the gut, she was momentary stumble for breath but soon she was back up to speed. She whipped her right fist into his left shoulder, quickly followed by her other hand making its way across his jaw line. As she made contact you could hear his jaw bone pop out of socket and then back in, the force in her punch knocked the boy to the ground. She walked away to the unconscious boy with a slight smile on her face; it felt so good to let her anger out. It had been over two week since the night she had ran into to Brooklyn, she had been trying so hard to take Spots advise and just forget about her past but right now she needed the anger that was hidden away in her past, she need to remember.

***FLASHBACK***

Louise and Frank were arguing outside their small apartment, every few minutes there was a loud bang coming from outside. Luke and Jen knew it was either Frank throwing Louise against the side out the building or punching it out of drunken anger. You could hear muffled yells from the two of them; brutal curse words from Frank and cries of pain and help from Louise. Jen and Luke sat on the sofa, both of them looking at their feet as if they were to look anywhere else their own feet would flee from them into the darkness of the night, never to be seen again. They both wanted desperately to run out the door and rip Frank's grimy self off their mother, throw him to the ground and give him back some of the pain that he had put them through, but they neither of them moved of the sofa knowing that what they wanted to do would wind up making things worse. It had been ten minutes of silence, but then a scream rang out, neither Luke nor Jen had ever heard their mother scream like that. They both leaped from their positions on the couch and raced towards the door. Luke reached the door first, but he wasn't quick enough by the time he had the door open a gunshot echoed throughout the courtyard. He took a step outside of the doorway, keeping Jen behind him; he looked towards the sound of the shot. He saw Louise sliding down the outside wall of their apartment, limp. Frank stood in front of her lifeless body, the gun he had use on her lay at his side. He turned at the sound of their footsteps.

"What da 'ell are you'se doin out 'ere, can't you'se mind your own damn business, get back in da house now." He screamed, moving his gun away from his side so that the barrel of the gun was staring Luke and Jen in the face.

Both of them stood there, their bodies frozen as they looked from their mothers body to the gun pointed at them. At the sight of the gun staring at them the fact that Frank was too drunk to care or even know what he was doing, finally clicked in Luke's head. He pushed Jen back into the living room where they had been sitting a few moments ago. Slamming and locking the door behind him. Luke left Jen in the living room as he ran into his small room he shared with her. He grabbed something that was hidden beneath his clothes in his dresser and then sprinted back to find Jen. When he reached the living room once again he found Jen still in a state of shock. He went to her and grasped her in his arms whispering words of comfort into her ear, telling her everything was going to be fine. After they stood there for a second or two Luke gently pulled away, he had a plan and needed to inform her of it now.

"We got ta get outta 'ere." He whispered, looking her in the eyes. "Were gonna run outta 'ere until we can't run anymore, we need ta get ta somewhere he won't think of goin. But if he catches us I'se need you'se ta keep run no matter what, I'll distract him so you can keep goin." Jens eyes got bigger at the thought of being separate from the one person she still had left, but she slowly nodded.

They made their way to the door taking in the last bit of the home they'd been living in for over seven years, both of them dwelling on what would happen if they were unable to escape, if this plan failed. When they reached the door Luke slowly turned the handle and when the door was fully open the both of them took off running. They started running down the stairs but as they did Frank stepped out in front of the bottom step, but they kept on running. Frank met them at the half way point of the stairs and grabbed Luke, shoving him against the railing.

"Just keep goin, don't worry about me." Luke yelled as he saw Jen beginning to freeze up. Luke's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"I can't.." She apoke just loud enough for him to hear her as she slowly continued down the stairs.

"I'se can 'andle it, just leave and don't worry." She obeyed his command and began to run once again.

She was quickly running to the bottom of the stairs but before she reached it Luke's body was thrown down them and hit the cement sidewalk. The sight of him lying on the ground in pain pushed Jen into super drive. She leaped down the last few steps she had left. Luke was moaning in paint and grabbing his left leg.

"LUKE, ARE YOU'SE OK?" Jen shrieked. Her fear for his safety was very apparent in her voice.

"Yeah I'll be fine, just help me up, we'se gotta get outta 'ere." He tried his best to make his voice calm, but pain was searing through his whole body, and he had felt at least one bone in his leg snap, but he didn't want Jen to know so he kept that information to himself.

She helped him up and they began to run again, this time they were not going nearly as fast as they had been, but fast enough so Frank couldn't catch up to them at the rate they were going. The pain was become unbearable for Luke as they ran but he forced himself onwards not wanting to cheat Jen out of an abuse less life she deserved. They took a sharp turn into a dark alleyway, Luke stopped, resting his back against the brick wall, his Breath heavy, he winced his eyes in pain.

"Jen ya 'ave ta go now." Luke s voice had an edge in it that Jen had never heard before

"I ain't leavin ya 'ere, I can't 'e will find ya." She shouted through her tears.

"Jen my legs broke an I can't go no fartha, an if you'se don't go 'e'll kill da both of us, so go on get outta 'ere."

"B-but…" Jen hated the idea off leaving him there, she couldn't do that, she wouldn't.

"NOW." He screamed at the top of his lungs as he heard the footsteps getting closer and closer. Jen looked at him, he was her only family left and she was going to have to leave him, she hated having to leave him there alone, but that's what Luke wanted and right now all she want was to do what he wanted her to.

"Goodbye Luke." she whispered quietly as she turned her back to him and began to run down the Manhattan ally.

She turned down the next opening and got about half a block away and then she stopped, the footsteps she had been listening to stopped, and Frank, her step-father, voice took their place. He was yelling at Luke, Jen was to far away by that time to understand what he was scream but she knew they weren't pleasant words coming out of his mouth. All the yelling stopped when she heard a shot fired, everything was quite after that, the only sound left in the air was the echo of the shot that had just been fired.

***NOW***

Jens POV (P.S. I'm now going to be switching into a first person POV; I feel that you will get a better picture of what's happening in first person. ENJOY)

As I walked away from that first boy my memories flashed in my head, all the anger, fear, and sadness that I had been hiding away came crashing through the walls I had built up. I looked around to fine the perfect subject for my next fight, it didn't take long before I spotted one, he was just jumping on top of one of the younger Brooklyn newsies. I rushed over to the two boys, yanking on the boy on top, who was at least five years older than the boy he had chosen to fight. He looked up at me when he felt my pulling on the back of his filthy shirt. It didn't take him long to retaliate, grabbing my hands and using them to throw me over his shoulders and then to the ground. My back stiffened as the cobble stone road dug into my shoulder blades. It took me a few seconds to regain the air that had been not out of me but as soon as I was able to move again I was standing facing the boy that had thrown me. The moment I stood was the moment that the boy's fist came flying at me, right towards my unhealed wound; I went with my first reaction to duck just in time to miss his powerful swing. By missing my face the boy was quickly thrown off balance and stumbled backwards, which gave me the perfect amount of time to strike him a few times in the gut before he was able to recuperate. He regained his balance and swung again, this time his full force hit me square in the jaw, sending my head whipping the opposite direction. I brought my hands quickly to my face feeling for the damage, the top tow stitches had been torn open and blood was now starting to make its way down my chin. That was the last string; I ran at him full force and jumped on him, knocking him to the ground. When we hit the ground I allowed now time to go by before I smashed my fists into his face, one after another until his body went limp beneath me and he stopped fighting back. The fight went on much like this, thirty minutes passed before I felt myself blink; each boy was harder to fight but seemed to give up faster. I stared to wonder when this was going to end, there was gun, and so did that mean it was a fight until one side was completely wiped out, or just tell the leaders were. I was snapped out of my thoughts as a shot was fired to my left, a boy I had never seen before was holding the gun and the one falling was the one I knew. I stood still for a second out of shock then I ran to this boy's side. I sat in his blood that was pooling around his small body and let the tears mix in with the blood, he was dead.

**REVIEW PLEASE!**

**I hope you liked this chapter!**

**I know chapter 10 was really lame but I'm planning on rewriting it soon, so don't fret you will see more emotion in it when I redo it.**

**Have a lovely day/night!**


	12. I'm sorry my dear

Dear my beloved readers,

I am sorry I have not posted anything espessally since I had been posting chapters every few days.

About two weeks ago my brothers dog jumped onto the chair that my laptop was on and knocked it off. It had been open and the force of the hit shattered my screen. I have not yet been able to buy another screen and I'm afraid I wont be able to for away, which means I am not going to be able to update for a while. I'm so sorry about this but I just wanted to let you know so you didn't think I had just stopped writing.

Hopefully it wont be to long before I get another screen but until then just live in the light that I am going to keep writing and I haven't quite on you in the middle of my story.

-Sunnyb161616


	13. For Brooklyn

**Read and Review!**

**Tell me what you loved, tell me what you hated, give me some constructive criticism.**

**Thanks to all of you who have commented, can't wait to read more, so write me more reviews so I can enjoy them!**

**Hope this chapter is up to your likings.**

SPOTS POV

'We few... we happy few, we band of brothers. For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother!'' Spot recited what the former leaders of Brooklyn had always recited before a fight. He spoke loud enough for the boys that surrounded him could hear but it was mostly for himself.

He crawled out the window and onto the fire escape. The moment he found himself completely out the window his slingshot was ready and loaded but only for a short moment. His first marble flew through the air hitting a kid from the Bronx in the back of the head. Spot stop for a second to take in the fear on the boys face as he looked back to see the marbles master. He took up another marble and let it smash into the same boy's forehead. This made the boy stumble backwards and trip over his own feet. Spot took a few more shots at random kids in the crowd before he took off down the steps and found himself on the forefront of the battle field. The sound of the fighting around him filled his ears, and got the adrenaline pumping though his veins. Spot walked deliberately through the crowd, a few brave and arrogant boys tried to stop him but he didn't take much time with them, he was on a mission and their mistakes weren't going to slow him down. He didn't want to fight just anyone, these boys were just tools, he wanted the ones who were wielding them, he wanted Thunder and Face and he was going to find them.

SCARLETS POV

Scarlet picked herself up off the ground; she lifted her hand to the back of her head where the ground and she had collided only moments before. As she felt the warm liquid with her finger tips she forced her eyes off the ground and to her attacker. Lyric stood in Scarlet's glare with a smug smirk on her face, this was the part of the battle Lyric had been anxiously awaiting, and Scarlet knew it. She knew this would come sometime throughout the night, Lyric absolutely hated Scarlet and she couldn't say that she liked her anymore. Lyric had been the sister that Julian had left Scarlet to look after the day that he died and both of the girls blamed the other for the accident.

"Not so ready for dis fight now were you'se?" Lyric spat pointless words at her as she came closer.

"I'se thought you would 'ave enough guts ta fight me face ta face, not that striking from the back stunt you pulled, I'se thought you'se were better than dat." Scarlet stood still as she spoke watching Lyric inch her way forward, waiting for the perfect time to through her first punch.

"You don't deserve a respectful fight." Lyric hissed as she leaped forward, but Scarlet saw that move coming and stepped out of the way letting Lyric fall to the ground where Scarlet had been earlier. She didn't let a second go by before she was on top of Lyric throwing punches. The brutal punches stopped when Lyric threw Scarlet off of herself and got back to her feet as quickly as she could. Scarlet was up as soon as Lyric and neither of them wasted time on the silly comments as they had done before, this time both girls ran at each other and as soon as they were in arms reach of one another they were swinging. The first full contact hit, that actually had an effect, was from Lyric, she had swung just before Scarlet had time to protect the right side of her head and gotten her first full force punch in of the fight and it did its damage.

THUNDERS POV

Thunder looked up from the now unconscious boy that lay beneath him when he heard a familiar cold voice from above him.

"Get up." Those two words were enough to strike fear into the deepest parts of Thunder, but he couldn't show that, he would rather die than show a speck of fear in Spots presence.

Spot stood a few feet from him, the lamp post on the corner cast Spots shadow over him until he forced himself off his former prey. Thunder could still see the smirk on his face although everything else about his person was blackened out by the light that shone from behind him. That smirk was haunting, it wasn't his normal smirk, no the smirk on Spots face right now was one of hatred and rage. As Thunder rose from the ground he could feel the barrel of his gun rub against side, the knowledge that he had a gun and Spot didn't was comforting, the fact that even if he lost the fight he had a backup plan.

Thunder didn't let any time go by between the time he stood up and the time he began to start jabbing his fist violently into the air in the direction where Spot stood. He didn't want to give Spot time to speak; Spots words were just as effective at beating you down as his fits were. Spots was enraged that Thunder had taken away his speaking time, for it was almost a ritual for him and just as enjoyable to him as the feeling of his fists smashing into some ones face, but he wasn't going to let that distract him. Each time Thunder swung Spot swiftly slipped out of his reach, waiting until he felt was a good time to join in.

Spot had been hoping he would have found Face, the leader that he felt would have been more of a challenge than Thunder, first but that was not the case. Thunder was new to the leadership role and no one knew why he had been chosen, he knew close to nothing about fighting compared to all the other leaders and he couldn't lead a horse to water never mind a group of newsies in a territory war.

The time finally came when Thunder began to grow tired, this was what Spot had been waiting for, he knew that his aimless punching would wear him down sometime and now it was time for him to attack. Spot threw his right foot into Thunders opposite thigh making him stumble sideways. Spot had noticed him shying away from his left arm when he had been watching him throw punches earlier, so that was where he placed his next attack. Thunder had broken his collarbone about four months ago and it was mostly healed but with the force of Spots punch, thunder could feel his healing bone snap again. The pain sent Thunder to his knees, and forced him to reach for his backup plan. As Spot saw Thunder reach across his body and grab for weapon that was being poorly concealed, Spot bought his fist as hard as he could to his face which knocked him out cold. Spot reached for the gun that lay between Thunders shirt and waistband and place it next to the gun that he was carrying on his person, the gun that no one but the Brooklyn and Manhattan newsies knew about, the gun he wasn't planning on using and would try his hardest not to use.

"FOR BROOKLYN" Spots scream echoed through the street mixed in with the other battle cries that rose from there, and then he moved on, looking for the next and last leader on his list to destroy. Face.

**REVIEW PLEASE!**

**I hope that you liked this chapter!**


	14. Old People Are Meant To Die

**Thank you to all of you that commented! **

**I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get this chapter up, it was partly because I was writing other stories, which yes I know I should finish this story first before I start new ones but I had some good ideas. Don't worry I'm back on track writing this one.**

** If you would like to read the first couple chapters of my other stories they're on fanfiction just check out my profile. **

**The other reason it took a while is because for the last two months I was on a missions trip to South Africa and Zambia. I'm not saying sorry for that reason because those two months were absolutely amazing! =]**

**Well I hope you like this chapter.**

**Read and Review! Please and Thank you!**

Jen sat in the puddle of blood that was spilling out of the small boy's body next to her. It was Chaos, the first newsie she met, the reason she is a newsie, and probably the only reason she is still alive. She stared at his lifeless body, the red liquid was leaking out of the left side of his head where the bullet had exited. As the blood rolled down to the ground it mixed in with his blonde hair, turning it red.

The Image of the shooting kept replaying in Jen head, she didn't understand, the boy that shot the gun was much older and could have easily fought Chaos; he didn't need to shoot him. For the next five minutes Jen fought with herself whether or not she should get back up and fight again or stay with the body of her friend that lay in front of her. She chose the first option standing to her feet, she was a little wobbly at first, her whole body wanted to collapse under the shock that was just beginning to fade. Once she was up and steady her adrenalin began pumping again, this time it screamed for blood and death. It scared her how much she just wanted to smash someone's face in til' they no longer were living. Jen understood why she wanted to do this; it was the fact that she didn't care whether she did it to the boy that shot Chaos or the next person to talk to her that frightened her.

Jens eyes scanned the crowd looking for the right person to jump at next. Her eyes stopped on a boy about her size, he himself had been looking for his next target but the moment Jen's eyes rested on him he must have felt it, he lifted his eyes to meet hers. He had fiery red hair that even in the dim lighting of the street lamps was instantly noticeable. As he approached, Jen noticed the bruises already starting to color his face and the blood that trickled down from the corner of his lips. This won't be too hard she thought to herself as they both took their stance.

Jen always let her opponents make the first move, it let her get to know their style, let her get a feel for how they move and how fast they were. It didn't take long before the fiery haired boy began to dance. He swung his left fist at her, he wasn't as fast as Jen guessed he would have been, but that was just going to make this fight all the more quick and painful for him. Jen let him take the next swing as well, and then she joined in.

Her first punched missed his face by an inch, this boy was a completely different fighter than Jen had assumed at first glance, slow at throwing punches but quick at dodging. She forced her fist faster towards his stomach, this time making contact. The force behind the blow caught him off guard and knocked the wind out of him, leaving him unable to dodge Jens next punch. The punch was square to his face knocking him to the ground. Jen began kicking him as hard as she could, after about five kicks she dropped down, throwing her fists into either side of his rib cage and his face. Each time her hand met his body he let out a groan of pain which just made Jen punch faster and harder. She kept punching him even after his body had gone limp under her. She didn't stop until someone pulled her off of him.

"Jen." Tweet spoke, pulled her out of the trance she had fallen into. Jen looked at him before she collapsed into his arms. She had begun to cry sometime between the time she threw the boy to the ground and Tweet picking her off his limp body.

"Jen." Tweet said again. "Pull it together. Beatin a kid 'til he won't ever wake up again ain't what we're tryin to accomplish 'ere."

"I don't care. The dirty bums killed him. They just shot him. He was just a little boy." Jen mumbled into Tweets shoulder.

"Who?" He questioned quickly.

"Chaos." Jen answered. She felt Tweet tense up slightly.

"It's war Jen, you can't let that cloud your view. People die." With that he moved his hands to her shoulders and pushed her body away from his own. "You have to keep going, beatin' the life out of one person ain't going to put the life back into Chaos. You have to get over it." It was like Tweet was giving her the same speech that Spot had just a few weeks ago. She looked up from the piece of ground she had been starring at while he was talking, and looked him square in the eyes, as she did so nodded her head, telling him she understood.

TWEETS POV

Tweet let go of Jens shoulders and took a few steps back, making sure she was going to be able to stand before he got back to the war raging around them. She stood there looking at him, her tears were slowing and he watched her wipe the last ones from her cheeks.

"Go get em for Chaos." Tweet said as her smirked at Jen. She didn't return the smile, but she did what he told her to, turning around and walking into the crowd slow finding her next target.

Tweet took a deep breath, he didn't get how someone as young as Chaos could die, ten year olds weren't supposed to die, old people were. He shook his head getting the thoughts out of his mind, he had gotten used to forgetting about his feelings, not just hiding them but completely throwing them away, that's just a thing you learn to do when you're a Brooklyn newsie.

He had taken a few steps back into the fight when a fist came flying at him. It took Tweet by surprise, he was glad that whoever swung at him had bad aim. He turned in the direction of the punch and to his surprise it was a girl, but not any girl it was Swinger, Thunders power hungry girl. He had only seen her before, never talked to her, all he knew about her was that she was after power and most likely in charge of everything that happens in the Bronx because Thunder was ignorant of his power being taken away.

"Well hello there." Tweet spoke as he caught her second punch with his hand. "It seems that I have yet to introduce myself to you. I'm Tweet, and you are?" He put on a makeshift smile as he asked his question.

"I know who you are, and you know who I am." Swinger's voice was like poisoned wine, sweet but ugly.

"Come on now, humor me." Tweet laughed.

"Stop talking and fight." She said while she threw a punch his way just to be engulfed by his hand yet again.

"You really want to fight me, have you not noticed you can't even hit me?" He said smugly with a tint of sarcasm lacing his words.

"well I was going after the goil you'se were with but she ran away before I got to her, I here Spots taken a liken to her and I was going to do a work on her face like the street rats did." Swinger smirked at him as she spoke the cruel words, but he just laughed. After seeing what she did to the last kid she fought he Knew swinger wouldn't have a chance.

"If you can't hit me the no way you'd ever be able to get a punch in on her. But go ahead I'm sure she would love to get her hands on the reason for this war right now." Tweet threw her towards the ground in the direction Jen had gone, inviting Swinger to go find her.

Swinger knew she had lost as she watched Tweet turn his back on her and walk away. She wanted to stand up and charge him but that would be stupid and look as if she couldn't control herself.

So she sat there for a moment cooling down, then got up and began searching for Jen, to prove Tweet wrong and to hit a cord that would through Spot off his game, to run Brooklyn in to the ground with one kill.

**Thank you so much for reading! **

**If you would take a few seconds and comment, even just the littlest comment would make me happy. **

**So go on now comment, I know you can do it. **


	15. The Truth Can Change Sometimes

**Well another new chapter! **

**This chapter could either catch you off guard or you knew this would happen sometime in the story. **

**I really enjoy writing this chapter and I hope you like reading it as much as I liked writing it!**

**Read and Review! Please and Thank you!**

SWINGERS POV

She picked herself up off the ground and quickly followed Jens trail that was disappearing as the gap between that widened. When she finally caught up with her she was to late, someone else had gotten to her. All the battles she was picking for herself today seemed to be running away from her and it was beginning to frustrate Swinger. This time she was going to wait, if Tweet was right about how well she fought this would be an easy battle for Jen. The boy she chose to fight had only been in the Bronx for three or four weeks, Swinger had yet to meet him she didn't even know his name, he had broken his leg before he showed up and it was only just now healing. Swinger rolled her eyes; she knew Jen must have seen he was a gimp, she hated it when someone picked a target that was less of a fighter then themselves, it's cowardly and pointless.

She watched as the gimp Jen had called to turned around and faced her. Swinger thought that if she could study Jens fighting she might have a better shot at winning the fight she would soon have with her, that is if she was ever got a chance to fight her, so she stood between a few kids fighting and Jen watching. She was let down when she saw that this wasn't like a normal fight that's for sure. Both of them stood there for a moment without doing anything, and then the boy walked over and gave her a hug. Swinger didn't understand, she was too far away from them to hear the conversation but she could see the boys lips moving and there was a smile playing on his face.

The hugging stopped and the boy stepped away from her, his face had lost its smile as he said something to Jen right before her body went limp and she fell to the ground. He kneeled down next to her check to see if she was okay. Not even a minute later Spot was standing over the. Swinger could hear muffled bits of what Spot was yelling at the boy but couldn't make out what exactly he was saying, so she moved in closer.

SPOTS POV

As Spot walked through the crowd, his eyes searching for Face, he caught a glimpse of Jen lying on the ground with a boy he had never seen before hovering over her. When he saw this he sprinted towards the scene, pushing through the fighting boys in his way.

"What do you think your doing? Get off of her, now." Spots voice was strained and full of hate for this boy that he suspected of hurting Jen.

The boy looked up when he heard Spots voice. He didn't move away from Jens body even though Spot had ordered him to which just made Spot more enraged. The boy did just the opposite of what he had been told; he maneuvered his arms under Jens legs and shoulders, standing up with her limp in his arms.

"Put her down." Spot growled.

"I can't do that, she shouldn't be out here fighting, she's just a girl." The boy spoke rudely back to him. Spot's eyes narrowed on him, this boy wasn't listening to Spot and that wasn't common. The boys odd behavior confused Spot not only was he not obeying his command but he wasn't acting like a person would that had just knocked Jen out. He knew this scene wasn't what he thought it was at first.

"Who are you?" Spot asked as the boy began to turn away from him.

"Luke Richards." He paused. "Jens Brother."

JENS POV

"Luke?" The boy that had ran past Jen turned at the sound of the name that escaped her lips. It was him, it was really Luke. She thought it had been him but she also thought that maybe her mind was playing cruel jokes on her. Jen stared at him in awe and shock. Her brother, her dead brother was standing right in front of her, alive.

"Jen?" He spoke softly, joy filled his words.

"You're dead." Jen took a few breaths. "You died, I heard the gun shot. You can't be here." Her words separated and spread out by the shock pulsing through her. In the past three weeks Jen had convinced herself that Luke had died in that alley and she had to get over it, and she had. But now her whole new life seemed to be breaking as the image of her brother stood in front of her. Everything she knew was wrong now, everything she had done in the pasts weeks played off Luke being dead, and now that that wasn't true she didn't know what was.

Luke took a few steps closer to her and embraced her in his arms. She stood still, shock still crowding her mind, not hugging him back. "I've been looking everywhere for you. How could you come to Brooklyn, you had heard the stories, and a newsies, a Brooklyn newsie. I didn't come here; I didn't think you would either." He whispered into Jens ear.

"Frank shot you?" Jen spoke with confusion in her voice, it sounded almost as if she wasn't talking to him but to herself, asking a question of herself.

"No, no I shot him, he's dead now. We're free, Jen we're free." Joy tinted Luke's words, as he pulled away from her and looked into her eyes.

"No, you don't understand." Jen was breathing hard now; she was taking shallow harsh breaths that weren't getting air into lungs and her head was beginning to spin. "The truth I came to believe was that you were dead, and the truth just doesn't change."

"Jen breathe. You have to breathe." Luke said to her ignoring the words she had just said. Jen didn't listing to him; she just kept going on breathing in the way she had been and it ended with her pasted out on the ground.

SPOTS POV

A small bit of panic raced through Spots veins when he heard the boy standing in front of him say he was Jens brother. In his head he kept repeating that this was a good thing but his heart was arguing back that with Luke being alive he would take Jen away from him and he would never see her again. His brain began to shout over his heart that it would be better for Jen to be with her brother but he still couldn't stop thinking about what would happen if Jen was taken away, from Brooklyn, from him.

"Where are you taking her?" Spot spoke as Luke was once again turning away.

"I'm taking her back to our home. It's on the border between the Bronx and Manhattan." He answered.

"No." Spot almost shouted. "Your going to take her into that building right there, second floor first door on the left. Her bunk is the bottom bunk closes to the window with the fire escape."

Luke didn't argue or disobey this command which gave Spot hope that maybe he wouldn't take Jen away. Spot watched as Luke went through the crowd and made his way into the Brooklyn lodging house, making sure he didn't change his mine and try to take Jen some where else.

"Some one is looking a little heart broken." A voice spoke from Spots left. He knew who it was; Swingers voice wasn't that hard to distinguish. After she spoke she swung at him. Spot let his fist make contact with his stomach. He was disappointed in her weak punch, he had been hoping that it would have hurt more, being able to bring his head back into the fight, but it hadn't.

"You're worthless." Spot spit his tasteless words at her as he shoved her out of his way as he began searching for Face.

SWINGERS POV

Swinger fell to the ground once again, this time she hadn't been deliberately thrown their, it was her own clumsiness that got her there. She pouted as she lay on her back in the middle of the street; she wasn't use to getting treated like this, most boys treated her like royalty, even the boys from outside of her own territory, mostly because they wanted something from her, but she didn't mind because most time she didn't give it to them. But in the misted of this war no one cared about maybe getting something from her all they cared about was winning the war and that meant doing whatever they had to and not caring about who they hurt or what they did, which had left Swinger on the ground twice tonight.

Swinger didn't even try to get up off the ground this time, she thought she might accomplish more if she just laid there and wallowed in her own self pity. She was the whole reason this war was put in motion, she was the one who whispered power into Thunders ear and force him into playing on her hunger for it. Swinger didn't care if she helped earn the power so long as the Bronx got it, which in turn meant she got it. She didn't mind not being productive in this war, she knew that her side had the upper hand and she was the one that got them that, in her head she had played her part and that's all she needed to do, the rest was up to the boy to use the upper hand that she'd given them to win.

**Thank you so much for reading!**

**If you would take a few seconds and comment, even just the littlest comment would make me happy.**

**So go on now comment, I know you can do it.**


	16. A Proper Funeral

**I'm sooo sorry it took so long for me to update. You know, life just gets in the way sometimes. Anyways. This isn't the last chapter. But the next one will be, so prepare yourselves. I just want to thank all of you for reading my story, and I would still love to hear what you guys think so write me a review! =)**

**JENS POV**

Jen's eyes fluttered open, not to the sight she expected, not to a war going on around her, but to the walls of the bunk room and empty bunks.

"Jen?" Luke's voice sang from behind her as he saw her move.

"You're real." She commented to herself as she rolled over and stared blankly at him. "How?" His lips turned up as he examined her while listening to her question.

"It's good to hear your voice." He didn't answer her question so she asked again. "It doesn't matter, all that matters is that I'm here, alive and well, and Frank isn't." He smiled at Jen as his words left his mouth.

**SPOTS POV**

"Face." Face smirked to himself at the sound of Spots voice behind him. This is what the war came to, one fight, two leaders. By the end of this fight the war would be over, one of them would be leaving with everything and the other would be lying on the ground like the end of a smoked cigarette. Face was sure that the one leaving would be him, thinking that Spot had no idea about the weapon hidden on his body. He slowly turned to face Spot.

"Spot, I've been waiting for you, what took you so long?" Face questioned as they began to walk around each other waiting for the perfect time to strike.

Spot enjoyed fighting Face, unlike Thunder, he was willing to have a ongoing banter as they fought. He saw himself in Face, determination, strength, power, but there was something that was missing, passion. Face didn't care about Queens, not like Spot did about Brooklyn. He only loved Queens for the power it gave him, Spot love Brooklyn as if it were his wife, he knew everything about Brooklyn, every curve, every secret. Power was the only thing that made Face happy and that was why he was trying to take Brooklyn, which Spot could never let happen.

"I had more important thing ta deal with before I made my way ta the scum." He spit his reply at Face.

"More important than protecting your dear Brooklyn?" Spots glare boiled on Face's skin as he laughed at his comment.

"Don't give yourself so much credit, you're not that much of a threat." He said in the midst of his sarcastic laughter.

"Looks like you'se more stupid than I had previously thought." Face bantered back as he quickly jabbed his fist in Spots direction. But just as Face's words didn't faze Spot, neither did his ill-aimed fist.

"Yeah, yeah? Don't get your hopes up. But you Face, look a lot less like a fighter than I remember." Spot said as he dodged Faces first attack and threw his own punch, his hitting more than air.

Face quickly pulled his hand to the left side of his face where Spot had placed his fist, but he swiftly recovered and threw another fist towards Spot. This time he made contact with Spots gut, which knocked a few breaths out of Spots lungs but it took him no time at all to regain the bit of air that was lost. The fight was long, each leader taking their fair share of blows, both physical and mental, but now it was winding down. Each second that passed Face became antsier, knowing the king of Brooklyn was going to win this battle if it was left up to this hand to hand scrapping they had been doing. It was now time for Face to turn the tables, for Face to take the upper hand. Once he got a punch in that forced Spot to take a few steps backwards Face grabbed for his gun. He pointed the gun towards Spot, forcing the fighting to stop, not only for their own two person fight but the fights that had been going on around them.

"Come on, big guy. Shoot it. Kill me." Spot spat.

"I'll do it Spot. But I'm not a bad guy; I'll give you'se a choice, give over Brooklyn or die. Which one you'se gonna choose?"

**JENS POV**

A gunshot from the streets below stopped the conversation between Jen and Luck immediately. Both of them got up off the bunk they had been sitting on and rushed to the window. There was a crowd gathered around two boys, one standing with his back towards the window and the other crumpled on the ground where his own blood was pooling.

"No one stopped when Chaos was the one shot." Jen said out loud, breaking the silence that had fallen in the bunk room. "Who is it?"

"It's must be a leader." Luke answered her sister's question. "You want me ta go check what's happening?"

"Yeah but I'm comin with yah." Jen opened the window and climbed onto the fire escape before Luke had a chance to protest.

"Well I guess these last few weeks have changed a few things." He mumbled under his breath as he chased his once timid younger sister down the fire escape.

When they both reached the alley below, they headed towards the crowd. When they got there they began to maneuver their way closer to the center which wasn't working all that well. Besides the sound of fidgeting kids the streets were quite, and it stayed that way for a while until a voice called out from the middle.

"Is this what you think power is?" It was Spots voice questioning the crowd. "This? Being able to kill a kid, a fellow newsie, for what, more space to sell papes, a few more pennies in our pockets?" Spot stopped, taking a few breaths, letting the group of newsies soak up what he was saying. Jen couldn't see his face but she knew it must have red with furry and his eyes piercing with rage. "If you think it is, you're not a Newsie. You're scum, worse than a scab. Now go home, keep your territories, I don't want them. I didn't want this. I didn't want my streets stained with blood, but you threatened my newsies and you threatened my Brooklyn. This is what happens when you screw with my family and my love. Brooklyn is mine, and will forever be mine. Now leave, you scum of the earth, come back and I promise you, it won't be a good day for anyone."

With Spots last words the crowd began to break up. Face's second in command came to the center and picked up his body, then led the Queens newsies back to their territory. By that time Thunder had come to, but he didn't fight Spots words, instead he called his kids back to the Bronx and they fell in line following there beaten down commander. Jen just stood and watched as bruised and broken newsies stumbled past her. Though Brooklyn had won none of the newsies she had fought with were celebrating, they all looked like mere shadows of themselves maneuvering their way back into the lodging house. The streets were now almost all clear leaving just a few boys from Brooklyn and Manhattan scattered about. That's when she was able to see Tweet bent down next to the lifeless Chaos. She swiftly made it to his side, Luke following close behind.

"What," Her voice somewhat startling Tweet. "What do we do now? How do we burry him?"

"Come with me." Tweet spoke softly as he scooped up the small body in his arms. He led her, and consequently Luke, down to the docks. When they got there Tweet laid Chaos down and ran to find something.

"I'm sorry Jen, I can see that you cared for him." Luke said once Tweet had left on his scavenger hunt.

"His name was Chaos, he's the one who found me, the morning after we were separated, sleeping on the Brooklyn Bridge. He's the one that brought Spot to see me and the reason why I've been living with the newsies ever since. Chaos was my angle when I needed help." Jens words soft as if she was just speaking to herself and not to Luke.

"He loved you, you know." Spot's cold voice rang out from behind them, where he was perched on his throne, next to Shadow, high above their heads.

"Spot." Jen whispered as she made eye contact with the king of Brooklyn. She was about to speak again to Spot when Tweet came back with an empty pallet covered in straw. "What are you going to do with that?"

"We give all our boys, who die as newsies, proper funerals. We've given more than I'd like to have, but this is how we show our respect." Spot said as both him and Shadow made their way down the tower of bins. Tweet picked up Chaos' body once again, this time picking it up only to put it down on the pallet he had found. When the boy's body was set in place Spot and Shadow lifted the pallet and walked it towards the water. While they did this Tweet pulled out his match book and began to light the straw on fire. When he had felt the fire would be able to sustain itself he stopped and the other boys lowered Chaos' fiery coffin into the water and pushed it away from the docks.

**The next and last chapter should be up soon!**

**Thanks!**


End file.
